Theater/Film Reviews
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The Army of Crime
Based on the exploits of a real group of non-French refugees living and fighting in occupied Paris during World War II, “The Army of Crime,” which opens today, is a powerful, gripping story of man’s inhumanity to man, of dedicated partisans and disgraceful collaborators. It’s a tragedy, as it had to be, but it’s a
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Stone
Hardly anyone portrays evil the way Edward Norton can, and he's at the top of his game in "Stone," which opens today. Paired with Robert De Niro, playing off-type, Norton brings a lot to the title role in a movie that makes us think of Raymond Chandler, James M. Cain and Dashiell Hanmett, those masters
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Conviction
One of the big problems of movies that are based on real stories is that there is not as much suspense as is necessary to keep the motor of the viewer’s imagination running fast enough. It’s fun to think of alternate plot lines, to see a character in a different light, to keep involved in
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Freakonomics
Let me try to explain a little about “Freakonomics,” one of this week’s new movies: When I was in college, a prerequisite for journalism students was a 7:30 a.m., three-day-a-week course called Economics 51, taught by a professor named Harry Gunnison Brown. Brown was a fan of an economist named Henry George, a man who
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High
The first appearance of Kathleen Turner on a St. Louis stage brought a note of magic to the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis last night, but neither Turner's hard-charging style nor her lengthy appeal to a higher power was able to bring much sustained life to "High," a new play by Matthew Lombardo which will
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Nowhere Boy
Celebrating what would have been his 70th birthday, even a week late, John Lennon is honored, or depicted, or examined, in a biographical film about his teen-age years, which certainly were difficult ones. Based on a memoir by his half-sister, Julia Baird, the film clearly shows the struggle–both sexual and adolescent (not always the same
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The Sicilian Girl
Dark and gloomy as winter twilight, solid and stark as Sicily’s mountain cliffs, “The Sicilian Girl” is a hard-hitting movie of violence and revenge, spawned by the age-old code of the Mafia. A controller of practically everything that happens on the island, the male-dominated society adapts Teddy Roosevelt’s line to, “Speak softly and carry a
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Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child
“Nobody loves a genius child,” wrote Langston Hughes, and rarely has there been a better description of Jean-Michel Basquiat, the short-lived artist who is the star of an adoring biographical film that will opens today and will spend the weekend as part of the Webster University Film Series. “Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child,” suffers from
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Evil Dead: The Musical
When it comes to selling tickets, or books, or kitchen spatulas, we all know that Sex Sells. Well, amend that. So does Blood. “Evil Dead: The Musical” drew a far larger crowd to Tower Grove Abbey last night for the Stray Dog Theatre opening-night performance of “Evil Dead: The Musical,” than for many opening nights.
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You Will Meet a Tall, Dark Stranger
When Roy married Sally, he got Helena and Alfie as in-laws. Then he saw Dia through her bedroom window. Meanwhile, Sally got her dream job, and a shot at Greg, but Iris got there first. And after Helena and Alfie were divorced, he got Charmaine, a well-done dame and she got Cristal, a rare medium.