Sweat at PTC

Last night I went to see Sweat, the latest production at PTC which chronicles the demise of the industrial town of Reading, Pennsylvania when the once enviable jobs at factories are outsourced.  I didn't know anything about this play when I walked into the theater but I found it to be incredibly compelling.  The action takes place at a working class bar frequented by Tracey (Margot White), Jessie (Susanna Florence), and Cynthia (Nafeesa Monroe) who work the line at a local manufacturing plant.  Cynthia's estranged husband Brucie (Vince McGill) wanders in and out with a cautionary tale about how he lost his job at another factory when management wanted to cut costs and shut the workers out when the union took a hard line.  Stan (Christopher Duvall), a former factory worker severely injured on the job, is the bartender who lends a sympathetic ear.  Oscar (Xavier Reyes), the barback who is viewed as an immigrant because he is Hispanic, is trying to find a better job.  When Cynthia is given a promotion from the line to low-level management, Tracey, who also applied for the job, believes it is because Cynthia is African-American and she blames her when the factory wants to cut salaries and benefits and then locks them out.  Jason (Callum Adams) and Chris (Hassiem Muhammad), the sons of Tracey and Cynthia, respecively, who also work at the factory, blame Oscar when he crosses the picket line to take a job at the factory leading to tragedy.  What I found so interesting about this story is that the audience is clearly meant to sympathize with the workers who have given more than twenty years of their lives to a company that only cares about the bottom line but playwright Lynn Nottage also wants her protagonists to be held accountable for lashing out at the wrong people (Hispanics and African-Americans) instead of blaming corporate America.  This production is so well done and the ensemble cast is outstanding.  Every single character elicits sympathy and understanding even when expressing opposing viewpoints.  Almost all of the action takes place in one location and the choreography moving the characters in and out of the bar is very innovative.  The bar itself is fabulous with so much detail (I loved all of the sports pennants and neon signs for local beers).  I really enjoyed this production but it should be noted that there is an excessive amount of profanity (many people around me left at intermission) and there were several racial slurs that really upset me.  Sweat runs at PTC through April 13 (tickets may be purchased here).

The Mustang

Last night I had the chance to see The Mustang, a film that generated a lot of buzz at Sundance this year and rightly so!  It is a beautiful story about the redemption of a violent convict through his bond with a horse that is just as wild as he is.  Roman Coleman (Matthias Schoenaerts) has recently been transferred to a prison in Nevada after spending several years in isolation because of anger management issues.  A prison psychologist (Connie Britton) refers him to a rehabilitation program, run by the curmudgeonly Myles (Bruce Dern), in which convicts are used to train wild mustangs rounded up by the government to keep the population sustainable.  Successfully trained horses are sold at auction and unsuccessful ones are euthanized.  Myles pairs Roman with the wildest of the horses hoping that they will be able to tame each other (the resolution is beautiful but it might surprise you).  The more success he finds in the ring, the more Roman is able to make peace with himself and with his daughter (Gideon Adlon).  Schoenaerts gives an exceptional performance, one in which there is not a lot of dialogue but one in which body language and facial expressions show the full extent of Roman's pain.  He exudes a fury that is palpable which makes his transformation in the scene where he finally breaks down with his daughter all the more powerful.  The action is quite slow because the trust between Roman and the horse is developed very gradually, culminating in one of the most beautiful scenes in the film.  It is visually striking with the wide open spaces of the desert juxtaposed with the claustrophobic interiors of the prison.  I also really liked the score, especially a plaintive theme played by a guitar when Roman is in solitary confinement.  I was very moved by this film and I highly recommend seeking it out.

The Aftermath

I love books and movies about World War II.  I especially love romances set during World War II so as soon as I saw the trailer for The Aftermath I was almost giddy with anticipation for it to hit SLC theaters.  It finally reached my favorite art house theater this weekend and I had a chance to see it yesterday afternoon.  I really enjoyed it.  Colonel Lewis Morgan (Jason Clarke) is stationed in Hamburg with the British Forces tasked with rebuilding Germany at the end of the war.  He sends for his wife Rachael (Keira Knightley) to join him in a house requisitioned by the British government for their use.  Their reunion is chilly and it is slowly revealed that their son was killed during the Blitz and that they have never really resolved their feelings about his death.  Rachael is horrified when she learns that her husband has allowed the previous owners, Stefan Lubert (Alexander Skarsgard) and his teenage daughter Freda (Flora Thiemann), to remain in the house with them.  Both Rachael and Stefan resent each other's presence in the house and the atmosphere is incredibly charged. Lewis wants everything to go back to how it was before the war and is largely oblivious to the tension in the house as he deals with the tensions between the British Forces and the German citizens.  Eventually Rachael and Stefan bond over their love of music and they begin an affair.  This domestic betrayal mirrors a larger one leading to a dramatic confrontation.  It is a very standard story about a love triangle but what elevates it is the exploration of what happens when you have to live and work with someone who was once your enemy and about finding forgiveness for actions, large and small, committed during war.  I found it to be very compelling.  All three main actors give outstanding performances, especially Knightley during one particularly emotional scene.  Of course, the costumes and sets are exactly what you would expect in a historical drama and I was especially impressed with the overhead shots of the bombed out city.  If you have enjoyed other period pieces starring Keira Knightley (there are so many to choose from), I would recommend seeking this out.

Dumbo

Last night I went to see Disney's remake of its animated classic Dumbo and, while I absolutely loved the flying baby elephant, I didn't love the movie.  Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) returns to the Medici Brothers Circus after being wounded in World War I only to discover that the circus is in financial difficulty.  Max Medici (Danny DeVito), the ringmaster of the circus, has gambled on the purchase of Jumbo, a pregnant elephant, hoping that the novelty of a baby elephant will bring business.  He puts Farrier and his children Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) in charge of the elephants.  The baby, named Dumbo, is born with extremely large ears and is ridiculed during his first appearance in the ring causing Jumbo to go on a rampage.  Max is forced to sell Jumbo but Farrier's children discover that Dumbo can fly which brings business back to the circus.  This attracts the attention of the impresario V.A. Vandemere (Michael Keaton) who brings the circus to Dreamland, his elaborate amusement park, and has Dumbo perform with the aerialist Colette Marchant (Eva Green).  However, Dreamland is not all that it appears to be and the circus performers decide that they must rescue Dumbo and reunite him with his mother.  I found most of the acting in this movie to be flat and lifeless, especially the children.  Honestly, the CGI elephant is much more expressive than any of the actors and I absolutely loved Dumbo's character design, especially those big blue eyes.  I also found the story to be very convoluted with the addition of themes of corporate greed and animal cruelty to the simple story told in the original.  But, ironically, it is the simple story of a baby longing to be reunited with his mother that is the best part of this movie and I found the early scenes between Dumbo and Jumbo to be incredibly affecting.  I wish that they had stayed at the circus longer to develop that relationship more.  Once the action moves to Dreamland it becomes very bloated with thinly drawn characters and loses focus until the heartwarming ending between Dumbo and his mother.  Dumbo is just so adorable and endearing and his yearning for his mother is so poignant that I was willing to overlook its faults and I would recommend it.

Fun at the Jazz Game

Tashena and I have been trying to get together for a Jazz game since January but with one thing or another we couldn't find a time that worked for both of us (she is so busy).  Since the regular season is ending soon (the Jazz have clinched a spot in the playoffs) I decided that I better get my act together and make it happen.  We went to the game last night and watched the Jazz play the Washington Wizards.  We always get to the arena early so that I can buy Tashena a shirt (this is tradition) and so we can get something to eat.  Because of the remodel of the Vivint arena there are so many great choices for dinner but I am partial to Hires (even though it is so expensive).  When the game started I mentioned to Tashena that I hoped the Jazz would win.  She answered, "Umm.  They're playing the Wizards!"  Apparently the Wizards don't have a very good record but they definitely gave the Jazz a run for their money and took the game to the final seconds which was a bit tense.  Tashena really likes Donovan Mitchell (whom she refers to as her husband) and he got an amazing breakaway to dramatically dunk the ball.  About halfway down the court he looked to see if anyone was close to him and got the biggest grin on his face when he saw that there wasn't!  Mitchell ended the night with 35 points to lead the Jazz to a 128-124 victory.  It was a great game but, honestly, I had such a good time just being with Tashena.  I haven't spent much time with her lately and I think we spent more time talking and laughing than we did watching the game.  She told me that I was embarrassing her about twenty times (mission accomplished), made fun of me for cheering every time Kyle Korver had the ball, and had me set up a Snapchat account so she could send me funny pictures!  It was such a fun night!  After the game she told me how glad she was that we were able to go!  I feel the same way!