'Seven Psychopaths' offers dark, violent laughs

"Seven Psychopaths" is not for everyone. It features some gruesome visuals not for the faint of heart. It is vulgar and violent, but also morbidly funny and philosophical.

This is playwright Martin McDonagh's follow up to his first film "In Bruges," another darkly comic, yet poignant movie. While "Seven Psychopaths" doesn't have the same emotional weight as its predecessor, it is a compelling exploration of the darker side of the human psyche.

The film has been marketed as a violent, but broadly comic film largely because of the presence of quirky actors like Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson in the cast. It isn't as goofy as the trailer makes out to be and while it is often a very funny film, it goes to macabre and disturbing places.

Colin Farrell stars as Marty, a screenwriter struggling to write a script called "Seven Psychopaths." All he has is the title and the idea that he doesn't want his film to be about mindless action. He turns to his own life to find the psychos for his script. It turns out he doesn't need to look far.

Marty's best friend Billy (Rockwell) kidnaps dogs with Hans (Walken) and then collects the reward for finding them. Billy takes the beloved Shih Tzu of a gangster (Harrelson) which gives Billy all sorts of fodder for his screenplay. Billy and Hans also turn out to have dark secrets.

Billy, attempting to help out Marty, posts an ad looking for psychopaths who may want to be written about in a movie. Enter Zachariah (Tom Waits), a serial killer that kills other serial killers.

This is a fantastic cast and everyone is on their A-game. Farrell, an underrated actor who is often better than the material he appears in (this summer's remake of "Total Recall" comes to mind).

As with "In Bruges," McDonagh has given him a juicy role. Marty is an alcoholic writer, one of the oldest cliches around, but Farrell does nice work avoiding the pitfalls of playing a drunk. One reading of the film could be that the film is about an alcoholic coming to terms with his disease.

Walken brings the idiosyncratic line readings and unpredictable energy he has become beloved for to the table, but also reminds us that he is a nuanced actor who can do wonders in a quiet, wordless moment.

Rockwell (who appeared with Walken in McDonagh's play "A Behanding in Spokane") brings an amusingly over-the-top manic energy to the film that helps to counterbalance some of the more graphic imagery.

Harrelson and Waits have smaller roles, but don't throw them away. Waits has an mencing oddball aura about him. Harrelson plays a tough guy that goes very soft when it comes to his dog.

In many respects, "Seven Psychopaths" recalls "Adaptation," in which screenwriter Charlie Kaufman is failing to adapt "The Orchid Thief" and writes himself into the script. Marty — a clear stand in for McDonagh — has writer's block and also makes his way into the script he is writing.

We assume that the script Marty is writing is the movie we are watching, but, because the film is about a writer, it is hard to know what is truly happening and what is fabrication. Several characters die in the course of the film, but perhaps they didn't. Writers are notorious for stealing from their life and embellishing. Is that what Marty is doing? Is that what McDonagh is doing?

One certainly hopes McDonagh's life isn't this violent. The film simply could be a metaphor for his struggles as an Irish playwright trying to work within the Hollywood system. There's a push and pull within the film between what McDonagh wants (a meditation on life and death) and what Hollywood wants (generic gunfights and violence).

"Seven Psychopaths" also recalls Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction," films that presented criminals and gangsters talking and interacting like real people rather than movie cliches. The dialogue in those films was hip and smart. In the years since, numerous filmmakers have attempted to emulate Tarantino's style of writing, but most have failed.

McDonagh is one of the few writers to play in Tarantino's playground and pull it off with the same balance of wit and substance. McDonagh is by no means a Tarantino clone though. He has his own distinct voice and is more philosophical. They are similar in their desire to write characters that are smart and to play against traditional genre expectations. In both cases, it is a relief to have a filmmaker who refuses to dumb down and who is willing to take chances.

'Next to Normal' offers funny, powerful exploration of mental illness

CONWAY — M&D Production is presenting "Next to Normal," a Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical that honestly and openly confronts the effects of mental illness on a family.

"Next to Normal," which opened Thursday, Nov. 8, and is running Thursday through Sunday for the next two weeks at Your Theatre in North Conway, N.H. centers on the Goodman family. Diana (Holly Reville) isn't much of a mother or wife as she struggles with bi-polar disorder and often loses sense of reality. There's a reveal about half way through the first act that makes Diana's psychosis more clear, but for the sake of this review I'll write around this plot point.

Diana's daughter Natalie (Molly Paven) is largely ignored despite being a stellar student and musician who is graduating from high school early and has a free ride to Yale. She can't get out from behind the shadow of her brother Gabriel (Troy Barboza), who is seen as perfect in the eyes of Diana. This is most poignantly addressed in the bitter song "Superboy and the Invisible Girl."

On songs like "I'm the One" and "There's a World," Gabriel is a negative influence on his mother and an enabler. He very literally is the cause of all her problems, which is something Diana refuses to admit to the detriment of herself and her family. Barboza creates a character who is charming, likable and sympathetic, but who we also begin to dread seeing.

Dan (Eric Andrews) is a husband and father who after 16 years of dealing with his wife's disease is desperate for some sense of normalcy. Andrews plays Dan as the calm center of the family trying to keep things in control, but under the surface you can see that his wife's struggles are taking their toll. He's often in denial as in the song "It's Gonna Be Good."

Paul Allen plays two separate psychiatrists attempting to treat Diana, one of which suggests electric shock therapy. Allen is a solid vocalist, who is good with delivering witty lines, but doesn't seem quite present enough in some scenes. For a psychiatrist, he doesn't really seem to truly be listening when Diana is talking. Perhaps this was an acting choice though.

Allen and Reville do have an amusingly awkward dynamic as Diana often confuses doctorly concern for flirtation. This is funniest in the song "My Psychopharmacologist and I." At one point Reville also visualizes Allen as a "scary rock star."

Diana's behavior drives a deepening wedge between her and Natalie, who eventually turns to drugs to deal with the turmoil of her family life. Paven is strong playing a girl who put all her focus on school as a means to get away for the problems at home, but then her desperation for an escape sends her down the wrong path.

Paven has a nice chemistry with Joe LaFrance as Henry, the sweet slacker who she begins dating. He tries to be there for her, but she's scared to expose him to her family's problems.

Reville has the most challenging role of the show and is quite good. She genuinely brings across Diana's fears and confusion. Reville's performance has a real sense of being lost in Diana's thoughts and emotions. Reville shares several heartbreaking scenes with Andrews, Barboza and Paven. The final reconciliation between mother and daughter on "Maybe (Next to Normal)" is a satisfyingly cathartic moment.

With more than 30 songs, there is more scenes of singing than there are of dialogue. Traditionally, characters burst into songs in musicals because their emotions are so big they can no longer be contained. In this case, all the characters are living with their emotions very close to the surface and thus explode into song quite frequently.

The score, featuring music by Tom Kitt and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, blends traditional musical-style ballads with elements from bluegrass, rock, pop, jazz, punk, classical and metal. The music is enhanced by a live band that plays with vigor. The band includes Rafe Matregrano as music director and on drums, Tracy Gardner on keyboard, Ashley Iwans on violin, Eric Jordan on bass and Nat MacDonald on guitar.

Director Ken Martin has done a fine job balancing the delicate nature of this material. For all the heavy drama of "Next to Normal," it isn't a downer. The show is full of wit and warmth. As the show concludes with the stirring "Light" there's a sense of hope that while things may never be entirely normal, they can be close enough.

For more information or tickets call the box office at 662-7591.

50 years of James Bond

The release of "Skyfall" on Nov. 9, will officially mark 50 years of James Bond. "Skyfall" is the 23rd official Bond film — the 1967 "Casino Royale" parody and Sean Connery's return to the role in 1983's "Never Say Never" are generally excluded — and while there have been highs and lows over the years, Bond still remains one of the most reliable sources of entertainment.

Bond was introduced to the movie-going world in the form of Connery in 1962's "Dr. No." Connery provided a perfect mix of raw machismo, charisma and wit. He could be rough and tumble one moment and then pour the charm on the next moment. He was able to play the material both seriously and with tongue placed in cheek. The playful innuendos that became increasingly more tired and obligatory as the series continued were delivered with a just right wink by Connery.

Those early Connery films set up the template. There were always two Bond girls: one good, one bad, a grandiose villain bent on world domination, the delightful gadgets provided by Q, the sassy exchanges with secretary Miss Moneypenny, spectacular action and, of course, the double entendre spiked dialogue.

Of those first films, 1964's "Goldfinger" still remains the most iconic and oft-parodied Bond film. In addition to the gold obsessed titular villain (Gert Frobe), the film includes the most memorably named Bond girl, Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman), and the henchman Oddjob (Harold Sakata) with his lethal hat-throwing abilities.

The second Bond film, 1963's "From Russia With Love," is noteworthy for being perhaps the most suspenseful of the series. Much of the film is set on a train and plays more like a Hitchcockian thriller than the slam-bam action adventures the series would evolve into.

Also of note of the Connery films is 1967's "You Only Live Twice." Scripted by Roald Dahl, famous for writing such children's classics as "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "Matilda," it is the most delightfully odd Bond film.

George Lazenby stepped into the role for one film, 1969's "In Her Majesty's Secret Service." He admirably acclimated to the role, but passed on continuing on even though he fought hard to get the role in the first place. The film is the closest to the vibe of the original source material of any of these early films. It also has the most unexpectedly heart-wrenching ending of any Bond film.

Then came Roger Moore, who, even though he appeared in the most Bond films, remains the weakest 007. Moore's Bond was all charm and little intimidation. Under his tenure as Bond, the series eventually de-evolved into pure camp and silliness. Bond was even sent into space for 1979's "Moonraker," a shameless attempt to cash-in on "Star Wars." That path was temporarily corrected with the more serious "For Your Eyes Only," but by the time Moore finished his run as Bond in 1985's "A View to Kill," the series had badly lost its way.

A new actor has always been a chance for renewal for this franchise. In the late 1980s, Timothy Dalton's two Bond films, "The Living Daylights" and "License to Kill," saw a return to a harder edged persona. The Dalton films moved away from over-the-top excess and went for straightforward action.

With the cold war over at the open of the 1990s, the series waited five years to figure out what to do without the franchise's long standing villain of choice: the Russians. Ultimately, the franchise decided to stick with Russia as the settling for "GoldenEye," Pierce Brosnan's crackerjack first appearance as Bond, but the baddie was a British agent (Sean Bean) taking advantage of the instability of post-cold war Russia.

It was 1997's "Tomorrow Never Dies" that would prove to have the quintessential Bond villain of the 1990s, a Rupert Murdock-esque media mogul (Jonathan Pryce) set out to create a world war so he could profit from telling the story via print and broadcast media. In these two films, Brosnan was almost on the same level as Connery, but by the time of his fourth film, "Die Another Day," campiness had once again over taken the franchise.

It has always been a delicate balance with the Bond movies of serious-minded action with a playful, self-aware tone. It is when the films become all about their own self awareness that they stop working.

Which brings us to Bond's latest era with Daniel Craig in the role. Starting with 2006's "Casino Royale," the series went back to square one showing us the origin of how Bond became Bond. Craig's Bond is still rough around the edges and more physical than previous incarnations. He is also given emotions to grapple with, something new for an actor playing Bond.

"Casino Royale," while removing most of the familiar motifs, did a fantastic job of balancing action, suspense, drama and humor. The follow up, "Quantum of Solace," was the first direct sequel to a Bond film and also the first to have Bond deal with unresolved emotions from a previous film. It worked as an action film, but felt lacking as a Bond film. It was a largely humorous, but necessary departure that helped to develop a more dimensional Bond. With two films of character development out of the way, this new film promises to be a return of the Bond we know and love. Here's to another 50 years of 007.

Why do we watch scary movies?

My girlfriend, who has little to no tolerance for being scared, recently asked why I watched horror films. How was it that I could derive any pleasure out of films that disturbed me? With Halloween less than a week away, it is a question worth pondering. Why is it that many of us seek out fear whether through extreme activities such as skydiving, going to a haunted house, reading a creepy book or watching a frightening film?

I turned to friends, some who work in the film industry, and asked them what they thought the impetus behind watching scary films is?

Meagan Frappiea, an assistant editor for Ken Burn's Florentine Film, suggests that horror films allow us to "grapple with our own inevitable death" and face our anxieties by putting them into a larger context that makes them less formidable.

"Seeing how warped and twisted the human mind can become gives us a basis of comparison for ourselves and those around us," Frappiea said. "Ultimately, I think reveling in our fears as a form of entertainment makes them less intimate and consuming. It's a visceral emotion we can share. It takes the boogie man out of our head and puts him on the screen."

Frank Farley, a doctor of psychologist at Temple University, discussed in a WebMD article this idea of needing to explore things different from our own life and trying to understand the unknown.

"There's a long history of people being intensely curious about the 'dark side,' and trying to make sense of it," Farley said in the article. "Through movies, we're able to see horror in front of our eyes, and some people are extremely fascinated by it. They're interested in the unusual and the bizarre because they don't understand it and it's so different from our everyday lives."

By exploring things that are different from our life it also helps to make our own lives seem normal and make our own problems pale in comparison to the horrific images on the screen. This perhaps holds most true for people who have to deal with terrible things because of their line of work.

"I think when you see horrible things in real life — like accidents, fire victims, rape victims, literally holding amputated limbs in your hands — you might crave seeing something worse to 'normalize' your own experience," Ben Hammond, whose girlfriend is a firefighter/paramedic, said. "There's a seemingly bizarre embracing of death [in the fire and rescue culture] and its inevitability, evidenced by frequent use of skulls in the fire symbology. As was explained to me, there's no point in trying escape or ignore death, as you face it every day in both your patients, your colleagues and yourself. Instead, it's almost treated as a formidable opponent that demands your utmost respect."

In the same WebMD article Glenn Sparks, a professor of communication at Purdue University, suggested that there is gratification in watching and surviving a horror film.

"It's not that they [horror fans] truly enjoy being scared," Sparks said. "But they get great satisfaction being able to say that they conquered and mastered something that was threatening. They enjoy the feeling that they 'made it through.'"

Leon Rappoport, a professor of psychology at Kansas State University, brought up a similar idea in the WebMD article. For adolescents there's the appeal of horror films being taboo. We weren't allowed to watch these films as kids, so there's a draw to the forbidden.

"Most of these films depict transgressions of conventional values and morality," Rappoport said. "There's an attraction to their 'forbidden' nature, in the same way that many adolescents want to know what it's like to drink too many beers, smoke cigarettes, or drive their car too fast."

That statement rings true to me, and probably just about anyone. While I'm by no means a horror aficionado, there was a curiosity to explore these films as I got older. But I quickly found where my line of interest was.

Beyond mere escapism, I watch films to understand the world around me. There's solace in watching a film (or reading a book or listening to song, for that matter) that one can relate to or that helps make a bit more sense of life. I admire any film that gets some sort of emotional or intellectual response from me, and sometimes that emotion is fear.

Some ideas, the exploration of human nature, for example, can only be addressed by going to dark, frightening places. I find value in going to those dark places, but only if I go there for a reason. Horror films that are gratuitously gory and violent without any meaning or emotional grounding have no appeal to me.

For Blake Merriman, the writer and one of the leads of the forthcoming indie film "Drinking Games" (www.facebook.com/DrinkingGamesMovie), the root of our fascination with fear is evolutionary.

"Fear is a very primal emotion," Merriman said. "The reason for its existence seems very clear: survival. Fear keeps us from doing stupid things. Fear keeps us from changing patterns that have kept us alive thus far. I would argue that fear is the strongest, most hard-wired and fundamental emotion we have."

Horror writer H.P. Lovecraft famously said something very similar: "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."

Merriman believes modern life is largely one without fear and that we feel as if something is missing without exercising our instinctual fear mechanism. It is through horror films that we are able to activate this most basic part of our reptilian brain.

"The really quality intense thrillers, the really scary movies, like 'Alien,' 'The Shining,' 'Psycho,' etc. engage us, activate that fear, and get our adrenaline pumping," Merriman said. "It's giving our hard-wired, primal fear mechanism a solid workout. Having a full experience from a solid horror/thriller movie often feels the same as having just had sex — another hard-wired, evolutionary mechanism for survival. And, hey, it's safer than jumping out of a plane or engaging in a gunfight."

Affleck's 'Argo' a taut look at a little known part of history

Based on a true story is often a dubious statement. Many films make that claim and take a kernel of truth and expand it to the point of being a mere shadow of reality. In "Argo," Ben Affleck's third film as a director, some liberties are taken in telling an obscure bit of history, but the most absurd elements are the parts that 100 percent true.

"Argo" takes place during the Iran hostage crisis of 1979/1980. For 444 days 52 Americans were held hostage after the seizure of the American Embassy. Six Americans managed to escape before the takeover and were left bouncing between houses before being taken in by the Canadian Ambassador (Victor Garber). After several months of hiding, it became clear they wouldn't be safe much longer and the United States government needed a plan to get them out of Iran safely.

Here's where life becomes stranger than fiction. Tony Mendez (Affleck), a CIA agent known for getting people out of high-risk situations, concocted a plan to use his contacts in Hollywood to set up a fake production company and go into Tehran under the cover of a Canadian film producer scouting a sci-fi film called "Argo." The six Americans would take on the cover of the rest of his crew.

The story was classified until 1997 and wasn't made public until a 2007 article in Wired magazine. There was an almost immediate interest in turning the story into a film, with George Clooney initially set to write and produce the film. Clooney eventually just took on the role of producer with writing duties being given to Chris Terrio.

Affleck stepped into the director's seat and he has delivered a near perfect thriller that relies on wit and intelligence over gunfire and explosions. He seamlessly blends archival news footage with a striking recreation of the seizure of the American Embassy. The look of the film emulates the style of gritty 1970s films, which helps in creating an authentic atmosphere.

The pacing of the film is just right, with slow-building tension that reaches a peak when Mendez and the six Americans make their way through the airport. The climax has far more close calls of trying to get past Iranian security than reality had, but it does make for exciting and highly entertaining film-going experience. For the most part, this is a faithful presentation of what happened, and, while Affleck and Terrio do embellish the truth toward the end, they thankfully stop short of going over-the-top Hollywood style.

Terrio's screenplay is light on characterization, but is a precise, well-oiled machine full of surprising moments of wit. The material back in Hollywood has a sharp satirical edge that is enhanced by John Goodman as real life make-artist John Chambers and Alan Arkin as a fictionalized producer.

Goodman and Arkin provide the film with some much needed comic relief that helps to break up the relentless building tension. Affleck doesn't let the humor undermine the seriousness of the situation, but provides just enough to supply a necessary release. Goodman and Arkin are both wonderful.

Affleck, as an actor, gives a quiet, nuanced, non-showy performance. Some could complain he is too flat, but that's the point. Mendez is a man you're not suppose to notice. He simply comes in and efficiently gets the job done. The same can be said of Affleck's performance.

The six Americans are played by largely unknowns and a few familiar faces such as Rory Cochrane, Tate Donovan and Clea DuVall, but no big names. This was the right choice as huge stars may have distracted from the realism that Affleck effectively achieved throughout the film.

Bryan Cranston gets a juicy role as Affleck's boss in the CIA. He provides the film with some gravitas as well as some nice cynical line readings.

This is thoroughly engaging film worth seeing as both a piece of entertainment and as a spotlight on a bit history that doesn't get discussed enough.

12 alternative songs for Halloween

In previous years, I've written articles exploring alternative songs for Halloween gatherings. This time, I've dug deeper to find quirkier and even more obscure songs. So, if you're tired of busting ghosts, mashing monsters and werewolves from London, take a look at the 12 oddities below.

"The Lurch" - Ted Cassidy (1965)
This is a sunny 1960s song sung by Cassidy in character as Lurch from the "Addams Family" TV series. The theme to the "Addams Family" may be a standard of Halloween parties, but this oddball song will be a snappy edition to any Halloween party.

"Drac's Back" - Andy Forray (1979)
A lot of rock stars including Rod Stewart and The Rolling Stones got on board with disco, so why not Dracula? In this song, good ol' Drac is on the prowl at discos, warning that those on the dance floor may not be tipsy, but actually a bit woozy from blood loss.

"The Monster Rap" - Bobby "Boris" Pickett (1985)
Everyone knows "The Monster Mash." It is practically synonymous with Halloween. Few are aware that there was a sequel that attempted to cash in on the blossoming hip hop scene. Here the monster is taught how to speak through the wonders of rap.

"Transylvania 6-5000" - Carl Sigman, Jerry Gray and William Finnegan (1985)
In the 1980s it seemed like every film had a theme song that referenced the movie's title. Most weren't as ubiquitous as "Ghostbusters." The "Transylvania 6-5000" film was a poor horror parody starring Jeff Goldblum. The song is an inordinately catchy lost new wave gem. It is so rare that it can only be heard in the opening credits of the film.

"Anything Can Happen on Halloween" - Tim Curry (1986)
Before there was "Harry Potter" there was the "Worst Witch," another series of books about a school of witchcraft. The books beget a 1986 TV movie which features the fabulous Tim Curry crooning about the joys of Halloween. The song is a hoot with loopy lyrics like: "Your teacher could become a sardine/Your dentist could turn into a queen/Has anybody seen my tambourine?"

"TerrorVision" - The Fibonaccis (1986)
Another song from an obscure 1980s horror comedy — this one is actually enjoyable in a campy sort of way. The song has a 1950s horror movie vibe updated for the 1980s that makes it both creepy and danceable.

"Haunted House" - Elvira (1995)
Elvira is a valley girl version of Vampira who began hosting late-night horror movies in the 1980s. Her branding has spread though to movies, video games and Halloween song compilations in which she contributed her own comic twist on the holiday. This hard-rock flavored song features lines like "Hey, can you ghosts keep it down please? I'm trying to get some sleep here."

"Burn The Witch" - Queen of the Stone Age (2005)
Foreboding hard rock is this band's bread and butter. The song begins with a rasping growling voice proclaiming to "burn the witch" and breaks into a funky, driving bass line and thumping drums. Front man Josh Homme sings such cryptic lyrics as "Ask yourself/Will I burn in Hell? Then write it down and cast it in the well."

"Dracula's Lament" - Jason Segel (2008)
For years, actor Jason Segel attempted to conjure up a "Dracula" musical to be performed with puppets. It seemed that dream would never come into fruition. In the movie "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" we get to see a glimpse of his opus. And it is hilarious.

"Monster Mask" - Pomplamoose (2011)
The popular YouTube duo sings a sweet song about how "Everyone feels like a monster sometimes." It is a heartwarming song, but it also features some excellent use of iconic dialogue from classic horror films that creates a nice Halloween atmosphere.

"Shia LeBeouf" - Rob Cantor (2012)
This song re-imagines actor Shia LeBeouf as a cannibalistic murderer lurking in dark forests. It is absurd, catchy and riotously funny.

"Zombie" - Family Force Five (2012)
A rap-tinged dance track about the ever-popular zombie. The song follows the journey from outbreak to the pleasure of living life as a zombie. The chorus which proclaims "watch me walk, watch me walk like a zombie" will infect your mind and stay awhile.

'Arsenic and Old Lace' offers dark, slapstick laughs

"Arsenic and Old Lace" is one of funniest movies ever made. Directed by Frank Capra from adaptation by Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein of Joseph Kesselring's play, the film is a perfect pairing of inspired looniness with macabre humor.

M&D Production is presenting "Arsenic and Old Lace" as part of their dinner and a movie series Oct. 16. Dinner is at 6:30 p.m. with the movie starting at 7 p.m. The menu, prepared by Mark DeLancey, features meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes with homemade gravy, buttered peas, side salad and assorted desserts and beverages.

Cary Grant stars in the film as Mortimer Brewster, a newspaperman and author known for his diatribes against marriage, who winds up in love and married after all.

The film is set in the home of his aunts (Josephine Hull and Jean Adair) with whom Mortimer is excited to introduce his new bride (Priscilla Lane). Instead, Mortimer stumbles upon his aunts secret hobby: killing lonely older men and burying them in the basement.

As if that wasn't bad enough, Mortimer's homicidal brother Jonathan (Raymond Massey) and his sniveling plastic surgeon (Peter Lorre) decide to visit the beloved aunts as well.

Poor Mortimer is also dealing with his brother Teddy (John Alexander) who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt and yells "Charge!" every time he runs up stairs.

Director Capra was best known for slices of Americana in which idealistic characters like George Bailey, Jefferson Smith, John Doe and Longfellow Deeds would stand up to and defeat cynicism. Capra was just as comfortable doing madcap comedy as evidenced in such films as "It Happened One Night" and "You Can't Take It With You."

"Arsenic and Old Lace" is his maddest comedy and also his darkest. In terms of direction, in several scenes he creates a creepy atmosphere that relies heavily on shadows. These darker elements form an interesting tension with the overall lighter tone of the material. These more foreboding moments are handled delicately and never overpower the comedy.

Grant considered his performance terribly over the top and called this his least favorite film. It is a shame that Grant wasn't able to see that his acting choices were just right. The performance is indeed over the top, but gloriously so.

In its way, it is very brave performance because Grant went huge in a way that could've been overbearing. Clearly, Grant believed he had done just that, but Grant's wide-eyed facial expressions and manic energy are an ideal match to the material, which blends slapstick, fast-paced dialogue, the absurd and dark humor.

The rest of the cast is equally inspired. Hull, Adair and Alexander all reprised their roles from the original Broadway production and their comfort with the characters is evident. Hull and Adair are very funny as the quintessential sweet, lovable older ladies. They genuinely see nothing wrong with what they are doing.

Massey is made up to look like Boris Karloff which leads to a funny running gag about his appearance. In the original Broadway production it really was Karloff in the role. Massey gives both an intimidating performance that creates great comic tension with the lunacy around him.

The quirky Lorre, the master of whimpering, weaselly sidekicks, is always a welcomed screen presence.

Those who haven't had a chance to see this comedy classic should take advantage of M&D's dinner and a movie night. Tickets are $10. For reservations call 662-7591.

'Looper' is a time travel film full of wit, action and surprises

Writer/director Rian Johnson's "Looper" is a tricky film to discuss. It is a densely packed piece of science fiction with intricate layers. Once you understand the film's logic, it is easy to follow. In terms of the characters' objectives, the plot is simple and direct, but to explain it in too great of detail ruins the numerous surprises the film has to offer.

"Looper" is set in 2044, a time in which time travel doesn't exist, but 30 years into the future it does. The process is illegal, but the mob uses time travel to send back people they want to dispose of. Men known as loopers are hired to be at a certain place to kill these people sent back in time. The victims are always bound with a hood over their head.

These men are called loopers because eventually the old versions of themselves will be sent back and the younger version kills the older. Their services are no longer needed, the loop is closed and the looper gets a big pay day, but he is always aware that in 30 years he'll be killed.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Joe, a drug-addicted looper saving up is money to leave for France for his retirement. Things become complicated when Joe's older version (Bruce Willis) is sent back without a hood and young Joe hesitates at the trigger. Now old Joe is on the loose and young Joe's boss (Jeff Daniels) wants both Joes dead.

That is merely the set up. Johnson's script goes to dark and unexpected places. Old Joe is on a mission in 2044 to protect a loved one in the future. What this mission entails is the latest thing you'd expect a character played by Bruce Willis to do.

The film builds to a final confrontation on a farm run by Emily Blunt and her young son (Pierce Gagnon). Blunt's character doesn't appear until late in the film, but is more than an obligatory damsel in distress or love interest.

Blunt's character made a terrible mistake that she's trying to rectify. She doesn't play the character as weak, but strong and resourceful. How she becomes entangled with the two Joes should not be spoiled, but it packs an emotional wallop that no one is likely to see coming.

Time travel stories are usually filled with paradoxes that create plot holes. Johnson attempts to address that issue in his approach to time travel. One neat trick is that young Joe's action in the present instantly changes old Joe's memories. Any injuries that young Joe endures appear as scars on old Joe. Johnson uses this in clever ways.

The film also gets to play with the question: What if you got to talk to your older self? There's a great scene in a diner between Levitt and Willis. Their conversation is direct. There isn't much time for philosophical musings. Instead there is a barded exchange as the older, wiser Joe literally looks back on his more foolish, younger self. Much of the dialogue of the scene is simply meant to give the audience plot information, but it is written in such a smart way and performed so perfectly by Levitt and Willis that the scene has a real spark.

Both actors are stellar throughout. Levitt, who starred in Johnson's first film "Brick," a hard boiled film noir set in high school, brings a hardened, brooding intensity to young Joe, but also adds subtleties as he slowly connects to emotions he had long disconnected from.

Willis, who has explored time travel before in "12 Monkeys," brings his expected kick-butt action persona to the table, but doesn't merely walk through this role. This is a dramatically heavy role and Willis reminds that in addition to being a great action star he can also be a great actor.

Johnson borrows themes, visuals and motifs from other time travel movies, most notably "The Terminator" and "12 Monkeys," but the film doesn't feel like a retread of previous films. He has fully rendered his world and its rules. The film feels fresh in its approach to time travel.

"Looper" is not merely about the mechanism of its plot though. It is deeply grounded in emotion and ultimately the story is driven forward by real and relatable emotions. The conclusion finds a way to close the loop on the story in a way that is surprising, satisfying and will lead to a lot of discussion afterward.

'Halpern and Johnson' offers a great showcase for Russo and Bownes

CONWAY — Two older men who have been linked for over 50 years by a shared love for one woman finally meet in M&D Productions production of "Halpern and Johnson," a thoughtful, funny and honest rumination on life and love.

"Halpern and Johnson," which opened Thursday, Oct. 4, at Your Theatre in North Conway, N.H. and is playing Thursday through Saturday until Oct. 20, began as an obscure 1983 TV movie starring Laurence Olivier and Jackie Gleason. Decades later the author Lionel Goldstein expanded the hour-long film to a two-hour play.

As the show opens, Joe Halpern (Rich Russo) is mourning at the grave of his recently deceased wife as another man approaches with flowers. This man, Dennis Johnson (David H. Bownes), reveals that he had a secret relationship with Joe's wife, Florence, that even predates Joe's relationship with her.

What follows is these two different men — Joe is working class and Dennis is an accountant with a tendency for flowery language — discussing the woman they both loved. Both learn things about the woman they thought they knew and have their views on themselves and life challenged.

Dennis has a distinct advantage over Joe since he has been aware of his existence for 50 years and would talk with Florence about Joe and their life together. Dennis even knows Joe's favorite drink and sandwich.

Joe is understandably infuriated to learn of this decades-long deception. Dennis, after lying to himself for years, sees knows nothing wrong with his relationship with Florence as it wasn't sexual. They simply met "thrice a year" to talk. That certainly is innocent enough, but that both Dennis and Florence decided to keep it secret reveals it isn't pure as Dennis would like it to seem. Emotional cheating is still cheating.

Goldstein's script doesn't paint Dennis as a villain and Joe as a saint. Both men are written with complex shading. Each man has both virtues and flaws and are written and portrayed by the actors sympathetically.

Late in the show, Joe reveals information about his relationship with Florence that makes him no better than Dennis and yet, in a way, it was Dennis' behavior that may have created the atmosphere for Joe's actions.

The play is very dialogue heavy with the burden of that falling on just two. Each actor has a full range of emotions to portray: hurt, anger, jealousy, regret, wistfulness and even warmth and compassion. Russo and Bownes prove more than up to the challenge.

Director Ken Martin gets performances from Russo and Bownes that are credible and honest. Each actor handles their lengthy passages of dialogue with ease, but, perhaps more importantly in a show like this, also seem to truly be listening to each other rather than just wait for their turn to speak. Each actor seems present and engaged.

Russo gives a wonderfully expressive performance. His facial expressions as he listens to the supposedly virtuous relationship his wife had with another man are priceless. He also reveals deep pain during a monologue about his past.

Bownes plays Dennis Johnson as a pragmatic and logical man who uses highfalutin language to distance himself from his emotions as if intellectualizing them will make them less painful. The emotions don't stay in check, though. Bownes makes Dennis' love for Florence seem very real especially as he nostalgically remembers when they first met.

"Halpern and Johnson" may simply be two people talking, but when the conversation is this engaging, revealing and relatable that's all you need. M&D's production of "Halpern and Johnson" is only the third ever produced, which makes the show all the more of a splendid discovery.

For more information or tickets, call the box office at 662-7591.

No 'trouble' with a formula film done right

On the surface, "Trouble with the Curve" is about baseball, but while there is plenty of scenes at baseball games and the sport is discussed extensively, the film is really about relationships and reconciliation.

Clint Eastwood stars as Gus, an aging baseball scout for the Atlanta Braves whose eyesight is going. His contract is up and a young hotshot within the organization (Matthew Lillard) wants to put him out to pasture for not embracing computers and statistics. In this regard, the film is the opposite of "Moneyball," last year's film about ignoring the wisdom of baseball scouts and looking purely at the numbers.

Gus' loyal friend and colleague (John Goodman) asks Gus' daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams), to join Gus on the road as he scouts Bo Gentry (Joe Massingill), a potential big league hitter with an even bigger ego. If Gus makes the wrong call it could mean his job. Gus and Mickey have a strained relationship at best and extreme communication issues.

While at games scouting Gentry, father and daughter cross paths with Johnny (Justin Timberlake), a pitcher turned scout. Gus had scouted Johnny and they have a mutual respect. Mickey begins a tentative flirtation with Johnny.

"Trouble with the Curve" is pure formula. Naturally, Gus and Mickey's time together finally helps them to communicate with each other. Of course Mickey and Johnny fall for each other. And it goes without saying that Lillard's smug character will be proven wrong for his blind trust in statistics. It is how it is all played out that makes the film so pleasurable.

Some stories are about their plots, but other stories are character driven and the plot is merely there to give the performers a platform to stand on. The baseball aspect of the story really could be replaced with anything else. It merely adds color and serves as the background issue to bring these characters together.

The film clearly has a love of baseball that sports fans will appreciate, but even those who could care less about baseball can become emotionally invested in the characters. The screenplay by first-timer Randy Brown does a nice job of developing the three central characters. There are good dialogue-driven scenes between Eastwood and Adams, Adams and Timberlake, and Eastwood and Timberlake. Their relationships feel real.

Eastwood is playing a variation on the bitter gruff, grumbling old man with a buried heart of gold that he has been doing for at least a decade. His performance here is a softer version of his work in "Gran Torino." Within his familiar persona, Eastwood finds quiet, subtle grace notes as when he touchingly talk/sings "You are My Sunshine" at his wife's grave.

Adams, a bubbly screen presence who can handle both comedy and drama, gets to show off both skills in this film. In her scenes with Eastwood she reveals the lasting hurt of years of abandonment and her desperation to reconnect with her distant father. With Timberlake she showcases her lighter side as the two trade cute banter.

Pop star turned actor Timberlake continues to prove he is a genuine actor. His range isn't huge, but he is likable and has a natural unforced quality that can't be faked. He is strongest at comedic repartee, but he is also credible in the quieter dramatic moments. He creates an easy chemistry with Adams.

Goodman takes the generic best friend role and makes it so much more than what is on the page. He has become such an expressive actor that he can say more in his body language and facial expressions than with an entire monologue.

Lillard has a standard villain role that the film's formula requires. It is a thankless role that he doesn't really do much with.

The film is cleanly directed by Robert Lorenz making his directorial debut after being Eastwood's assistant director for decades. Like Eastwood's directing, Lorenz isn't showy, but simply tells the story and gives the characters room to breathe and develop.

Anyone watching knows that everything is going to be tied up nicely by the end, but how the film does it is quite a neat trick and deeply satisfying. The conclusion reminds that even a formulaic film can still surprise.

Hollywood's sequel obsession continues with 'Resident Evil'

This past weekend I saw "Resident Evil: Retribution," the fifth film in the series based on the popular mutant-zombie video games. The film is so inconsequential that it doesn't even deserve a full review.

Each of the "Resident Evil" films is essentially the same: Milla Jovovich's Alice does battle with the evil Umbrella Corporation which continues to do experiments with a virus that mutates the living and reanimates the dead.

Writer/director Paul W.S. Anderson says the next film will be the final film in the franchise and that he has an idea of how to wrap up the story. Having sat through "Retribution," it is unclear why the series hasn't been wrapped up already.

When you reach the final scene, it is apparent that what you've just watched is a 90-minute teaser for the sixth film. The key plot points to get from the fourth to the sixth film could've been covered in 10 minutes or less. The other 80 minutes is gratuitous padding.

"Resident Evil: Retribution" is the most cynical type of sequel. It is a film that realizes its undiscerning fan base will come out no matter what. For fans, these films are (very) mindless fun, but even the fans deserve better than this. The "Resident Evil" series is little more than a shameless cash grab that is emblematic of Hollywood's continuing obsession with sequels.

The sequel has been around almost as long as the motion picture. The first sequel dates all the way back to 1916's "Fall of a Nation," a follow up to the iconic "Birth of a Nation." So, while the sequel is hardly new it seems like with each passing year Hollywood becomes more fixated on building franchises. For Hollywood, moviemaking is about making money and if you have a proven product then you need to give the public more of what they want.

I'm not against sequels by definition. I gladly saw "The Bourne Legacy" this summer and I'm excited to see that series continue. That has been a series with consistently high quality control. The same can be said of Marvel's stable of superhero movies and Christopher Nolan's "Batman" films.

Unfortunately, most sequels are not made with such care and really are only about making more money rather than actually expanding the story or exploring the characters further. Last year's "The Hangover: Part 2" was little more than a carbon copy of the original with very little to justify its existence, but it was a hit and so number three is on the way.

One of the bigger surprises of last year was that "Fast Five," the fifth installment of "The Fast and the Furious" franchise somehow managed to be the best of the bunch. Universal Studio took that to mean that there needs to be a "Fast Six" and "Fast Seven." Universal appears to have forgotten that sometimes it is good to just walk away from the table when you're ahead.

But, increasingly, studios don't seem willing to just let a series of films end gracefully, but simply continues to churn out the next installment until audiences lose interest. Disney's "Pirates of Caribbean" series is a prime example of this. None of the sequels, even though they have their moments, have matched the original, but the films keep raking in the dough and so we'll likely see "Pirates 5" in the coming years.

Even this summer's comedy hit "Ted" is going to get a sequel. People will see it because there's always that curiosity of what happens next. I'm all for spending more time with characters we've learned to love in a film, but sometimes things are best left unknown.

I get the feeling that if many film classics were made today we'd be seeing sequels. The further exploits of Rick in "Casablanca 2" (which nearly did get made) or perhaps "Gone With the Wind 2: I Still Don't Give a Damn." But we don't need to know what happens beyond those films. They're perfect on their own. Hollywood is forgetting sometimes one is enough.

'Beasts' offers rare exploration of child's view on life

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" is a wonderfully odd and oddly wonderful film. This is a rare film that captures a child's perspective and their sense of wonder and awe of the world.

The film is set in the Bathtub, the "wet side" of a levee in an unspecified part of the Southern delta. A ramshackle community chooses to live here in spite of an ever present threat of flooding of what little land they have. The people here live a simple, nearly primitive life. To the outside world their existence would seem like living in squalor, but to them it is the only way to live.

We see all this through the eyes of Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis), a 6-year-old girl who is fascinated by the life and death of animals. She constantly picks up small animals to listen to their heartbeat. In addition, she is imagining the ice caps melting and letting loose prehistoric beasts.

Hushpuppy's father Wink (Dwight Henry) is the sort of leader of the community. Unfortunately, his health is failing and he isn't sure how to deal with this as a man or father. Hushpuppy's mother is out of the picture, but she still "talks" to her mother represented by an old basketball jersey.

Despite a setting that is often decrypt and desolate, the film has a certain magic quality. Much of that can be attribute to a wonderful horn-heavy score by director Benh Zeitlin and Dan Romer that is equal parts sweet, majestic and uplifting. The score helps to make the film almost fantastic, which is appropriate given it is from Hushpuppy's youthful point of view.

Director Zeitlin chooses a handheld camera approach, a technique that has become increasingly overused in action films often resulting in confusing, incoherent sequences. Here though the approach is effective and gives the film a documentary-like feeling as if we are roaming around the Bathtub with Hushpuppy.

The film, unlike a lot of films that rely heavily on handheld camera work, is quite beautiful to behold. Zeitlin and cinematographer Ben Richardson find simple, lasting compositions.

Wallis gives a rather extraordinary performance, continuing this summer's trend of great child performances as represented in "Moonrise Kingdom" and "The Odd Life of Timothy Green." She is asked to carry much of the film and provide it with voiceover narration and she ably does that.

Much of the film requires Wallis to silently react to the world around her and she always seems present and active in these moments. She has a striking, natural screen presence. She is sweet and cute, but never too precious.

Henry is also strong as Wink. He is hot tempered and often doesn't really know how to deal with raising a daughter on his own. He is loving, but only knows how to show it by teaching his daughter how to be a man. When Wink allows himself to finally show some tenderness as when he lets Hushpuppy sleep on his chest it is a powerful and touching moment.

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" isn't a complex film in terms of its plotting. In fact, very little happens in terms of actual events. It is about a girl's journey to find courage and understand her world. Unlike many such tales, Hushpuppy's search isn't heavy with its message or morals. It is just one girl's story simply told with grace and beauty.

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" is playing at the Majestic Theater at the Conway Cafe in Conway Village.

'Lawless' is a violent, well acted drama

The generically named "Lawless" is an imperfect, but compelling prohibition-era drama about moonshiners, gangsters and a crooked federal agent that is graphically violent and exceptionally well acted.

Based on the semi-factual novel "The Wettest County in the World" — a much better name — the film is a character study of the Bondurant brothers, who are the most successful moonshiners in Franklin county, Virginia.

Forrest (Tom Hardy), the oldest, is the leader and a man who local myth claims to be immortal as he has defied death on numerous occasions. The middle brother, Howard (Jason Clarke), is Forrest's right-hand man and enforcer. Jack (Shia LaBeouf) is the runt of the family and is only allowed to be the driver, although he is hungry for more.

The trio run a gas station and diner as the front for their moonshining operation. Into their world enters Maggie (Jessica Chastain), a beautiful Chicago woman on the run from the treachery of the city, who accepts a waitress job.

Their simple life is shaken when a special agent (Guy Pearce) comes to town looking to shut down all moonshining. While others in the county fall in line, the Bondurant boys refuse leading to several bursts of brutal violence.

Jack takes it upon himself to expand business to Chicago and sell to gangster Floyd Banner (Gary Oldman). After an initial uncertain confrontation between Jack and Floyd this subplot doesn't really go anywhere. This aspect of the plot simply exists to provide the brothers with wealth. Oldman is fantastic playing a 1930s-era gangster, but his role is not much larger than a cameo. There is a lot more that could've been explored here.

The real antagonist of the film is Pearce's special agent. On the surface he is a prim and mannered man, but this merely hides a slimy, cruel and sadistic nature. Pearce gives a performance that is genuinely disturbing and makes your skin crawl.

The Bondurants are able to evade Pearce for a time, but Jack, with his new found wealth, brings attention to himself by buying fancy new clothes and cars and courting the preacher's daughter (Mia Wasikowska).

LaBeouf's Jack is essentially the film's main character. He provides the film's narration and has the central story arc. LaBeouf, once a critical darling before "The Transformers" series and his tabloid antics, is getting largely dismissed in most reviews of this film.

As an actor, LaBeouf's range is still limited, but this sort of material suits him far better than big-budget action. He is not expected to be a tough guy in this film. He is actually a rather pathetic weakling who must grow into the violent confrontation that marks the climax of the film. LaBeouf shows this growth admirably and nicely carries the film.

Although LaBeouf is good, it is Hardy that makes the stronger impression. He makes Forrest a quiet, stoic man who believes his own myth. Hardy gives Forrest a deep, growl of a voice that at times is difficult to decipher, but perhaps that is the point. Forrest is meant to be enigmatic. He is a man of few words, but every one counts.

Hardy develops an intriguing relationship with Chastain. They don't say much to each other, but in glances and body language they create a palpable chemistry. Chastain breathes life into a character that could be standard. Both Hardy and Chastain feel like real people rather than the cliches they may have been in lesser actors' hands.

Clarke, as the third brother, isn't given much to do. He has a distinct, memorable screen presence, but his character is underdeveloped and is just there to throw punches and shoot guns.

Directed by John Hillcoat from a screenplay by rocker Nick Cave, the film is deliberately paced and with beautiful, atmospheric photography by cinematographer Benoît Delhomme. Most scenes are of quiet conversation. Even the more intense dialogue exchanges aren't shouting matches. This makes the violence, which often comes seemingly out of nowhere, all the more striking.

'Rome' a mixed bag off Woody Allen stories

Woody Allen continues his European film tour, which has included stops in London, Barcelona and Paris, with "To Rome With Love," a collection of stories set in Italy's capital that hits more often than it misses.

Coming off of the delightful "Midnight in Paris," one of Allen's best films in this or any other decade, "To Rome With Love" is a slight disappointment. For more than 40 years, Woody Allen's annual new film has been as reliable as the changing seasons. With that level of production, not every film can be great. On balance though, his latest entertains.

"To Rome With Love" weaves together four different stories. In story one, a middle aged architect (Alec Baldwin) visits Rome for the first time since his youth and runs into a younger version of himself (Jesse Eisenberg) who is considering cheating on his sweet girlfriend (Greta Gerwig) with her best friend (Ellen Page), a sexually charged faux-intellectual actress. Baldwin freely, and inexplicably, pops in and out of this trio's life. The best interpretation of this is that Baldwin is reliving and advising his memories.

This is the best and funniest of the four plots. Baldwin is very funny as he sarcastically advises his younger, more foolish self. Eisenberg effectively plays a variation on Allen's nebbish neurotic. He gets laughs just with his facial expressions as he listens to the outlandish things that come out of Page's mouth. As Page has proved in the past, she can deliver fast-paced dialogue better than just about anyone in her generation. Only Gerwig seems shortchanged in this story arc.

In story two, a perfectly average Italian man (Roberto Benigni) becomes a celebrity for no reason at all. He is hounded by the press and paparazzi who want to know everything about him from what he had for breakfast to whether he thinks God exists. Live footage of him shaving is a major scoop. This plot is an amusing commentary on our ever increasing obsession with celebrity and how, thanks to reality TV, anyone can become a false idol. The ultimate theme of this plot reveals Allen's thoughts on his own celebrity.

The third story features Allen's first on screen appearance since 2006's "Scoop." Allen is a retired opera director who visits Rome with his wife (Allen regular Judy Davis) to visit their daughter (Alison Pill) who is engaged to marry an Italian (Flavio Parenti). It turns out the father (Fabio Armiliato) of Pill's fiance has the ability to beautifully sing opera. The problem is he can only sing in the shower.

This is a one-joke story, but at the very least it is a very funny joke, with a nice, and not overly heavy-handed, message that isn't too late to follow a dream.

In the fourth, and weakest, story, a recently wed couple (Alessandro Tiberi and Alessandra Mastronardi) arrives in Rome only to lose track of each other. Through a misunderstanding, a prostitute (Penelope Cruz) must pose as the new bride while meeting high-profile family members. While this is happening, the real bride is off contemplating an affair with a movie star.

Whenever Allen cuts to this plot line the film comes to a halt. With its reliance on dumb characters, lame slapstick and tired one-liners, this story is terribly unfunny. The infidelities perpetrated by the couple also leave behind a nasty after taste. The dubious theme seems to be that a little adultery is good for a marriage.

There's actually a lot of adultery in the film, but, in the other stories, it is used to explore a larger theme. This doesn't exactly excuse the behavior, but it gives it a purpose.

This is decent Allen, but I'll take that over most of the films that come out on any given week. At 76, Allen still seems sharp and spry and with no indication of slowing down. For Allen it isn't so much quantity over quality, but that he simply needs to keep working. It would seem that filmmaking is like breathing for Allen and he'll continue to make films until his final breath.

To paraphrase a line from "Annie Hall," Allen's film career is like a shark. It has to constantly move forward or it dies. More power to him.

"To Rome With Love" is playing at the Majestic Theater at The Conway Cafe in Conway Village.

'Stop the World' is well acted, but flawed

CONWAY — The Mount Washington Valley Theatre Company ends its 42nd season with "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off" a handsomely mounted and well acted production that nevertheless seems to be having an identity crisis.

"Stop the World," which opened Tuesday, Aug. 21, at the Eastern Slope Inn Playhouse and is playing through Sept. 2, was first produced in 1961 and has not aged particularly well.

Musicals and plays are often a product of when they were written. Shows like "The Music Man" or "Damn Yankees" are clearly from the 1950s, but have a certain timeless quality. "Hair" is a show that captures the vibe of the 1960s and acts as a time capsule. "Stop the World" reflects an attitude of an era gone by, but simply feels dated.

"Stop the World," written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, tells the story of Littlechap (Andy Lindberg), a lowly tea boy for a big English company. His station in life begins to change when he gets the boss' daughter, Evie (Hillary Parker), pregnant. He marries her and gets a promotion at work. Through hard work he makes his way into the higher ranks of the company.

Littlechap is dissatisfied with his life, though, and jumps into the arms of several women (all played by Parker). Naturally, it is only late in life that Littlechap sees the error of his ways and realizes that all he needed was the love of his wife.

Littlechap comes off as a philandering cad who does often deplorable things, and yet, it is presented as light fun. Littlechap is a tragically flawed figure, but, as directed by Nathaniel Shaw, it is hard to sympathize with him even though Lindberg is likable in the role.

The original production of "Stop the World" had a circus as a backdrop, a metaphor for life as a circus, and Littlechap was dressed as a mime. Shaw removes both of these aspects and it is to the detriment of the show. There's a certain sadness to a mime, often portrayed as sad clowns or fools, that just in appearance would help to bring across the tragedy of Littlechap.

"Stop the World" has an odd shifting tone that is clearly difficult to balance. The show goes from broad slapstick featuring mimed actions that recall the silent film era to savagely on-target social and political satire to a morality tale in the final scenes. Individual elements work and entertain on their own but don't hang well together. At least in this production, the darker concluding scenes, which are supposed to be poignant, feel entirely unearned.

The cast can't be faulted, though, as everyone involved does accomplished work.

Lindberg, who appeared in the infamous pie-eating contest scene in the film "Stand By Me," has an easy-going stage presence especially when he asks to "stop the world" to address the audience. He has a strong voice that stands out on the shows best songs "Gonna Build a Mountain," "Once in a Lifetime" and "What Kind of Fool Am I." He is also good at portraying the aging of Littlechap and is particularly strong at bringing across the character as an old man.

Parker has the thankless role of Evie, who is given nothing to do but have kids and nag. Parker does get to let loose and have fun playing the various women Littlechap meets including a Russian, a German and an American. Her characterization of these women are fun and funny and enliven the production.

The rest of the cast is made up of an ensemble featuring Natasha Repass, Emilie Jensen, Jennifer Lauren Brown, Liz Wasser, Erica Moore and Lizzie Porcari. Everyone plays multiple roles and these players often upstage and get bigger laughs than the leads. While their comic timing, facial expressions and body language are admirable and greatly appreciated, you can't help but feel that their antics reveal a production that doesn't trust its central plot.

For more information or tickets call 356-5776 or visit www.mwvtheatre.org.

'Odd,' but wonderful family film

"The Odd Life of Timothy Green" is the sort of heartwarming live-action Disney film that used to be the company's mainstay for decades. In recent years, modestly budgeted family comedy/dramas have been replaced with bloated, big-budgeted action extravaganzas. "Timothy Green" is both a throwback to feel-good Disney films of the past and something deeper and richer than the typical Disney fare.

Writer/director Peter Hedges' screenplay, from a story credited to Ahmet Zappa, focuses on Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton) a couple who are unable to conceive a child. One evening, in an attempt to move on, they write down all the ideal attributes they'd want their kid to have. They bury this list in their garden. A magical wind, not dissimilar to the one that carried Mary Poppins, blows in and the subsequent storm brings Timothy (CJ Adams), a boy with all the qualities Cindy and Jim asked for as well as leaves growing out of his ankles.

Hedges, who wrote and directed the warm and funny "Pieces of April" and "Dan in Real Life," wrote "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and co-wrote the screen adaptation of "About a Boy," knows how to write characters and family dynamics that feel real. His characters are smart and funny without feeling overly written.

"Timothy Green" is simple and formulaic, but doesn't feel hollow in spite of a seemingly trite, silly premise. The story is framed with the Greens at an adoption agency telling the story of Timothy in hopes of being able to adopt a child. This device lets the audience know that Timothy's time is limited, which gives a poignancy to many of his scenes. Timothy is there to help his adopted parents learn to be parents.

The film is clever in the way that it delivers the Greens' various wishes of their dream child ("honest to a fault," "our kid will rock," "just once our kid scores the winning goal") in unexpected ways. Timothy is not the perfect child, that's not what Cindy and Jim wanted, but he is funny, open, friendly and ever so slightly odd.

Timothy quickly wins over Cindy Aunt Mel (Lois Smith) and Uncle Bub (M. Emmett Walsh). Jim's gruff, distant father (David Morse), Cindy's know-it-all sister (Rosemarie DeWitt) and Cindy's witchy boss (Diane Wiest) are tougher sells, but eventually warm to Timothy.

Timothy develops a sweet relationship with Joni (Odeya Rush), a girl who discovers his leaves, but instead of mocking him for his difference likes him for it as she as her own secret. They quickly form a strong bond as they begin building a special world all their own. Adams and Rush have a easy, believable chemistry.

Through Timothy, Joni is able to embrace her own differences with pride. Hedges doesn't hit the audience over the head with this moment, but simply presents it without drawing attention to it and is all the more affecting due to the restraint.

Adams' strong performance goes a long way to making the film work. Often child actors can come across as too precious and cute, but Adams finds a delicate balance between being sweet and likable, but also emotionally honest. His performance is natural and unforced. Along with the two leads in Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom." it is one of the best child performance to come around in quite some time.

The cast surrounding Adams is exceptional strong. Garner and Edgerton give heartfelt performance that easily could've been overly sappy and cloying, but instead feel based in real emotion.

All the supporting characters are loosely sketched and fairly one-dimensional, but they serve their purposes and are given life by the talented cast. Hedges is telling a fable that plays more on an emotional than intellectual level. The actors enrich their characters with genuine feeling and convictions.

At its core, Hedges' film takes on a serious subject, a family not being able to conceive and trying to adopt, in a way that is light and whimsical. The film is a tearjerker, but Hedges gentle tugs on the heartstrings instead of shamelessly yanking on them.

Eastern Slope Inn Playhouse is the place to 'bee'

The Mount Washington Valley Theatre Company's 42nd season continues with the light and funny "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," which opened at the Eastern Slope Inn Playhouse in North Conway, N.H. Aug. 7 and is running through Aug. 18.

"Spelling Bee" is a one-act musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. It predates "High School Musical" by a year, but is similar in tone and themes, but is, you know, good. The show centers on six quirky adolescents participating in a spelling bee overseen by three eccentric adults.

William Barfee (Joshua Levin) is the ultimate nerd with a special technique of spelling with his foot, Olive Ostorvsky (Jennifer Lauren Brown) is a sweet, word obsessed girl with parental issues, Chip Tolentino (Jake Levitt) is the previous year's winner, Marcy Park (Emilie Jensen) is an over achiever, Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (Jill Twiss) is the gay rights advocate daughter of two dads, and Leaf Coneybear (Alex Herrea) is a particularly weird child who goes into a trance when spelling words.

The spelling bee enthusiast Rona Lisa Peretti (Liz Wasser) runs the show with Douglas Panch (Ryan Murvin), a man with unknown personal issues, providing the words and parolee Mitch Mahoney (M. Elijah Caldwell) acting as a comfort councilor. The cast often takes on double or triple roles in flashbacks and dream sequences.

Four people are chosen out of the audience to fill out the ranks of the spellers and are actually called upon to spell. It is a cute gimmick, but one that adds needless running time to the show.

The show's songs are upbeat and fun, but it is the characterizations in "Spelling Bee" that stand out the most. While the characters aren't much more than archetypes they are given bright personalities that this talented cast bring vividly alive.

Herrera, with a talking finger, strange clothes and stranger antics, is a scene stealer. He makes Leaf a loveable kook.

Levin is very funny, nerding out in a big way on songs like "Magic Foot." He makes seemingly bland catchphrases like "Of course" and "I know!" hilarious. He also develops a sweet, tentative flirtation with Brown's Olive.

Jensen is solid as an uptight priss who shines on "I Speak Six Languages," a lively number in which she shows off her many talents ranging from karate to wine making.

Wasser nails the perky teacher-type and has an amusing comic chemistry with Murvin. Some of the shows best laughs come from the definitions and usages of words in sentences, and Murvin delivers each one perfectly. Caldwell has the smallest role, but has a dynamic stage presence that is memorable.

Director Nathaniel Shaw and choreographer Lisa Rumbauska keep the show moving at a brisk pace. One of the show's highlights is a scene that starts in high speed and then, riotiously, is performed in slow motion.

Musical director Michael Hopewell has done a fine job guiding this cast of uniformly strong vocalist. Kenneth John Verdugo provides a nice gymnasium set. Costumes by Barbara Erin Delo do a good job of making the cast look younger. Victoria Miller provides effective lighting.

The show does have one song, the generically titled "The I Love You Song," that is surprisingly heartwrenching. The song explores Olive's emotionally distant parents and her troubled home life. Brown pours a lot of hurt into her performance, building to a powerful final moment. It is the emotional highlight of the show and helps deepen an otherwise fluffy show into something with a bit more substance.

For more information or tickets call 356-5776 or visit www.mwvtheatre.org.

Bourne-less Bourne film more than a shameless money grab

"The Bourne Legacy," the fourth film in the Jason Bourne series, doesn't actually star Matt Damon's Bourne. How does one make a Bourne film without Bourne? You center it on another super spy similar to Bourne and have Bourne's action in the previous films have a direct effect on this new character.

On the page, "Bourne Legacy" seems like nothing more than a shameless cash grab, but it is less shameless than you might think. "Bourne Legacy" runs congruent with the actions of "Bourne Ultimatum," the third film in the series, making it less a sequel or prequel and more a parallel-quel.

Jeremy Renner stars as Aaron Cross, one of a new breed of super spies created by a government program called Outcome. These agents are given pills that enhance mental and physical abilities. This is an intriguing idea of the government essentially getting these super agents addicted to a drug to keep them loyal. The amnesic agent of the previous films is replaced with an addict agent.

Writer/director Tony Gilroy, who has been a writer on all the previous films, doesn't spoon feed the audience. For a while, it is unclear what is going on or who Renner is. Whether "Legacy" takes too much time and is needlessly confusing is certainly up to debate. There are references to Treadstone and Black Briar, the government agencies from the previous films, and a lot of scientific mumbo-jumbo that doesn't really add up too much. It eventually does make sense.

Basically, what the plot boils down to is that Bourne represents the failure of Treadstone, and Outcome fears there will be backlash once public gets more wind of that. The program head played by Edward Norton decides to dissolve Outcome and kill its field agents and anyone who knows too much information. That is a familiar plot device, but a cliche can still play if it is presented well and Gilroy does a reasonable job presenting it.

Aaron evades death and saves an Outcome doctor (Rachel Weisz) in hopes of her being able to get him his drug fix. She doesn't have any pills, but there is a way to makes his enhancements permanent.

As was true of "Michael Clayton" and "Duplicity," Gilroy's other films as writer and director, he is fascinated with showing the mechanisms behind things we normally don't see. There have always been scenes of men and women in back rooms surrounded by computers in these films, but Gilroy gives us even more of that this time. This seems to intrigue Gilroy far more than elaborate action scenes and indeed there is less action in "Legacy." There are a couple fight scenes spread throughout and an elaborate chase in the end that feels tagged on because it has to be there. It is well delivered and exciting, but slightly forced.

Every one of these films has one or two characters that stands in a room of monitors and barks random instructions. It has always been a thankless role filled by great actors (Chris Cooper and Brian Cox in "Identity," Cox and Joan Allen in "Supremacy" and Allen and David Strathairn in "Ultimatum"). This time it is Norton's turn. Norton is such a good actor that he makes his dialogue work better than it really should. He has a moment of wide-eyed shock and indignation that I was quite fond of.

Renner, who brought an unpredictable energy to films like "The Hurt Locker" and "The Town," seems a bit restricted having to play an agent trained to be cold and emotionless, but he does work some expressive moments in.

Aaron is a different personality-type than Bourne, who became increasingly more stoic as the series progressed. In early scenes in the film, Aaron is congenial and curious when he encounters another agent. He also provides a twitchy intensity when he starts jonesing for his meds. There's a backstory that helps add interesting shading to the character's motivation.

There is a definite break in the character though in the final scenes. The first hour of of film is more thoughtful and character driven. When Gilroy switches to the obligatory action finale, Aaron basically changes into Bourne. Which begs the question: Why did they bother spending the time to develop a character to toss out that development?

Even with its flaws, though, "Legacy" is a worthy expansion of the Bourne film universe and it would be interesting to see a Damon/Renner mash up in the future.

M&D serves up some 'real' laughs

After the intense drama of Sam Shepard's "A Lie of the Mind," M&D Productions is going for something a good deal lighter with "The Real Inspector Hound," Tom Stoppard's parody of the mystery genre, which opened Thursday, Aug. 9, at Your Theatre in North Conway, N.H. and is playing Thursday through Saturday for the next three weeks.

M&D is going from its longest show — at two hours and 45 minutes — to its shortest at 65 minutes. "The Real Inspector Hound" is like an after dinner mint after the heavy meal that was "A Lie of the Mind."

In that short running time, Stoppard packs a lot in as he explores the idea of a play within a play and breaking the fourth wall. This is a show that can be viewed on two levels. It can be enjoyed simply as a madcap and absurdist comedy or as a satire that blurs the line between fiction and reality and dissects the very role of theater itself in a way that can lead to some meaty discussion after the show.


But I don't want to become too pretentious or ponderous in my reading of the show lest I become like the self-aggrandizing critics of Moon (Ken Martin) and Birdboot (Kevin O'Neil), who are tasked to review a murder mystery.

Moon and Birdboot can barely be bothered to watch the show as they are too busy talking about themselves and pontificating prose for their reviews that has nothing to do with the actual content of the show. Moon is constantly muttering about his station as a second-string critic, and Birdboot is distracted by romantic longings for the actresses on stage. About half through the show they actually take part in the very performance they're supposed to be reviewing.

The play within the play is a standard whodunit writ large with broad comedic flourishes. A madman is on the loose near the Manor Muldoon where the widowed Lady Muldoon (Karen Kustafson) and her guests Major Magnus Muldoon (Andrew Brosnan) and Felicity Cunningham (Janette Kondrat) are visited by Simon Gascoyne (Eric Jordan), who has had an affair with both women. The inept Inspector Hound (Bill Knolla) arrives just in time to provide no help at all.

Jane Duggan plays a maid who humorously speaks entirely in exposition or cryptic, foreboding monologues. Duggan facial expressions and overly dramatic line readings provide many of the shows biggest laughs.

The show's funniest scene involves Duggan serving tea in a maddeningly slow and precise manner, which increasingly infuriates Kondrat's Felicity. Kondrat does comic wonders with a fan that she is constantly folding and unfolding.

Everyone in the play within the play performs their parts in a gloriously campy fashion. Jordan spends most the production wide eyed and bewildered. Kustafson squeezes every bit of overwrought melodrama out of her intentionally cliche dialogue. Brosnan speaks in a Scottish brogue and rocks a fake moustache.

Martin, who also designed the impressive set, and O'Neil's performances are less broad, but no less funny as they perfectly capture the essence of an arrogant critic. Not that I speak from experience or anything.

Comedy is just as difficult if not more so than drama, but director Richard Russo keeps the pace appropriately fast and the humor well timed. Russo doesn't let the comic energy run completely out of control, but he also gives his actors the freedom to go big and goofy. It is not a spoiler to say there are several deaths, but one actor's extended death scene is particularly laugh-out-loud funny.

The sound design by Russo and Martin cleverly uses bits of Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther" theme, Bernard Hermann's "Psycho" theme, Beethoven's "Fifth Symphony" and other songs.

"The Real Inspector Hound" is quick, breezy, fun theater that, while not exactly profound, does reward an attentive audience.

For more information or tickets call the box office at 662-7591.

'Rises' ends Nolan's Batman trilogy brilliantly

Director Christopher Nolan completes his dark, reality-based "Batman" trilogy with "The Dark Knight Rises," which makes good on its title. Nolan raises a bleak film into something hopeful and uplifting.

Starting with 2005's "Batman Begins" and continuing with 2008's "The Dark Knight," Nolan has created a version of the Batman universe that, relatively speaking, is believable. The more fantastic aspects of the characters have been removed and replaced with more plausible variations. "Dark Knight Rises" asks for some suspension of disbelief, but far less so than your average superhero film.

Nolan, who co-wrote the films with his brother Jonathan and David S. Goyer, has ingeniously taken various elements of Batman lore and combined them in a way that remains faithful to the source material even when altering the details.

The film picks up eight years after the events of "The Dark Knight." Batman (Christian Bale) has taken the fall for the horrific actions of Harvey Dent, the district attorney who was driven mad by the Joker. Dent was seen as Gotham's savior, and, with that image preserved, organized crime was swept out of the city.

With Batman retired and the love of his life dead, Bruce Wayne has become a crippled recluse stalking the dimly lit halls of Wayne manor as Alfred (Michael Caine), his loyal butler and confidant, looks on with evermore concern.

Wayne is brought out of hiding when a cat burglar named Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) breaks into Wayne manor. Her actions turnout to be connected to the schemes of a brilliant terrorist named Bane (Tom Hardy), who has his sights on the destruction of Gotham and Batman. To say more would start getting into the realm of spoilers, but a look back at "Batman Begins," while not necessary, would certainly be helpful.

One of the film's primary themes is whether there's such thing as a good lie. Commissioner Gordon (Gary Oldman) was able to clean up Gotham, but that admirable deed is hollow as it was based on a lie. Similarly, a lie Alfred told to protect Wayne's feelings may have done more damage than good. Secrets have a way of turning things rotten from the inside, out and Bane exploits that.

Bane's plot against Gotham brings Batman out of retirement, but Wayne has underestimated Bane, who proves to be a more than worthy adversary both mentally and physically. Comic book fans will know what happens between Batman and Bane and, yes, Nolan unflinchingly shows it. Hardy, his face almost entirely obscured by a mask, gives a deceptively nuanced performance. Just with his eyes and body language, he creates a formidable, frightening villain.

There are other characters at play here as well. Marion Cotillard plays Miranda Tate, the new head of Wayne Enterprises, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays John Blake, a young noble cop, Matthew Modine plays an older glory-seeking cop, and Morgan Freeman is back as Wayne's gadget man.

That's a large cast, but Nolan does a superb job juggling the characters and how they all intertwine. Nolan is a filmmaker who takes time to develop his themes and characters. The film clocks in at two hours and 45 minutes, but the length is never noticeable as Nolan doesn't waste a single minute. From frame one, the film engages and begins building a nearly unremitting sense of dread and tension.

This is a film made on a huge scale. Nolan, unlike Michael Bay and other manic directors, doesn't edit his action scenes into confusing seizure-inducing messes. The film's stunning set pieces include an extraordinary opening heist in which one plane hijacks a smaller plane. There's a lot of screen time for the Bat-Pod and The Bat, Batman's new flying contraption, both of which are exceptionally cool.

Nolan also includes plenty of small, quiet moments. Most of the film is structured as Wayne interacting with a series of different characters each one, in their own way, helping him on his journey to not only save Gotham, but himself.

Bale gives his best performance yet in the series. His Wayne is a brooding, tortured man who has lost sight of who he is. Watching Bale play off this exceptional cast is just as thrilling as any of the elaborate action sequences.

Hathaway, who is playing Catwoman, but is never referred to as such, is fantastic. She provides a sultry, sarcastic cynicism to the film. She's hard, but not lacking compassion and neither a clear hero or villain, which brings a nice ambiguity to the character. Her scenes with Bale, as both Wayne and Batman, have a genuine spark.

Gordon-Levitt is also strong, particularly in a scene in which he confronts Wayne about a shared moment in their past. An interesting dynamic develops between Blake and Wayne that pays off in a big way.

Caine is heartbreaking as his Alfred struggles to watch Wayne go down a path he can no longer support. Freeman provides light, and necessary, comic relief. Oldman, once again, gives a subtle performance as the guilt-ridden commissioner.

What distinguishes "The Dark Knight Rises" from the average blockbuster is that, in spite of its massiveness, it is a deeply personal and intimate film. This is the perfect balance of entertainment and substance.