Theater/Film Reviews
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Fantastic Mr. Fox
Pairing a couple of quirky geniuses, like Roald Dahl and Wes Anderson, is bound to create something special, regardless of which end of the spectrum is reached. We're well on the high side with "Fantastic Mr. Fox," from a 1970 Dahl story, refigured by Anderson for the 21st century to provide complete delight. Whether or
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Little House on the Prairie
Sunbonnets were all the rage in the Fox Theatre lobby last night as "Little House on the Prairie" arrived for a five-day run. Fans of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books will be satisfied in the portrayals of the Ingalls family, theater buffs will be a little less satisfied with the transition to live theater.
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The Horse Boy
Rowan Isaacson is five years old. He has temper tantrums that last for hours, he is not toilet-trained, he will not communicate, he cannot be reasoned with. He is autistic. But he loves his toy animals and plays constantly with them, especially the horses. And one day his parents, Rupert Isaacson and Kristin Neff,
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The Road
Cormac McCarthy long has been one of my favorite authors. A dark background was one of the attributes that held my interest, and his Tennessee-set stories like "Suttree" were just as powerful as the Western yarns like "Blood Meridian" and the three books that made up the so-called "Border Trilogy." "No Country for Old
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Precious
"Precious" is an absolutely awful movie–if you define "awful" in terms of people doing terrible things to other people, or of adults treating children in a disgraceful manner. In terms of writing, casting, directing and acting, it's a brilliant movie, and director Lee Daniels and his cast deserve over-the-top plaudits. It's also a difficult
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Amreeka
Adapting to a new environment is a well-worn plot line for movies, but the story is rarely as immediate as in "Amreeka," which opens today. In a nutshell, it's the tale of a Palestinian Arab woman, a Christian, who gets the chance to come to the United States just as President George W. Bush is
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Individuals
The wry, poetic genius of Fran Landesman, foul mouth and all, is part of the St. Louis International Film Festival in "Almost a Legend," a delightful 37-minute documentary, one of four films to be shown today at 5 p.m. at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. Produced by Terhi Kylliainen, directed, written and filmed by Mia Vuorlo Ringwald,
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2012
There may be worse movies to come out between now and New Year's Eve, but as Dizzy Dean used to say when he made comparisons, "This one's among 'em." "2012," a tale of an upcoming Apocalypse as predicted by Mayans, is made for those who set their model trains to crash, or take delight in
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An Education
A handsome Lothario, a terminally curious English schoolgirl who dreams of love and of Paris. Maurice Chevalier's voice echoes, "Ah, yes, I remember it well," from the sound track of "Gigi." And that's the beginning of "An Education," a delightful tale of a girl trying to grow up in London just before Carnaby Street, the
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In The Heights
Talent and energy can hide a multitude of sins in a theatrical production, and when technical values also are first-rate, that's more than enough to create a fine experience, proven by the touring company of "In the Heights," which opened brightly at the Fox Theatre last night, to run through Nov. 22. The musical about