Pick 'n' Mix!

We start with a more manageable number of Pride and Glory reviews this week, and while not quite all of them make an appearance below, points raised are largely representative of the remainder. According to IMDb, the film is now out in Greece, Israel and Italy and is scheduled for release in the UK on Friday. Enjoy!

Scrumptious centre, unscrumptious coating

• John M. Urbancich of the The Plain Dealer laments that Pride and Glory's cast - including a 'superb Jennifer Ehle' and an 'always terrific Jon Voight' - cannot rescue the film from 'guilt by familiarity'.
  


• Gary Thompson from the Philadelphia Daily News considers the iron scene to be one step too far. However, despite claiming that other members of the genre outweigh the film, Thompson admits there is 'nothing wrong' with Pride and Glory's performances.
  


• The Scotsman wins the award for most hilarious partial nay, likening Pride and Glory (on account of its apparent superfluity) to 'a sixth toe or another Madonna tour'. But after an even ouchier moment - 'it's just The Departed without the Oscar winners' - some plus points are mentioned, with the film being considered 'watchable', the actors hailed as well-suited, and Ms Ehle being described as 'bald but improbably radiant'.
  


• Paralleling this in places, Carol Cling at Lonokenews thinks the film barely keeps its head above water. But, after diagnosing 'a serious case of subplot-itis', Cling praises actor John Ortiz and a 'wonderful [Jennifer] Ehle, almost unrecognizable from her days in...Pride and Prejudice' who 'delivers a few wrenching moments'.
  


• Over at Greenville News, the reader reviews are as mixed as those from the professionals, with comments ranging from 'an entertaining and worthy view' on the one hand to a one-starred suggestion of a not-so-nice name change on the other.
  


• More substantive thoughts return with Matthew Fox at the Paso Robles Press, who despite giving his fair share of harsh comments notes that 'the scenes between Emmerich and Ehle serve as the most heartfelt in the film'. He also gives high marks to both Jon Voight and John Ortiz.
  


• Describing the film as 'a textbook example of what a movie looks like when it is made up of an A+ cast and a D+ script', Chester Carson of the Juneau Empire airs most succintly this frequently raised point. He goes on to give several (non Ehle-related) reasons to warrant his opinion of excellent acting and not-so-excellent writing.
  


• At GT Weekly, Lisa Jensen's title instantly reveals her nay stance, but she does refer to 'the lovely Jennifer Ehle' and, echoing the above article, talks of 'an excellent cast who deserved so much more.'
  


• It's the same story again from the Newsleader, who say the following:

[...] Acting is the true shining star in this otherwise pedestrian film, with Edward Norton and Jon Voight turning in strong performances, buoyed by a group of minor roles that are handled with skill, regardless of how small. Standouts among them are the relative unknowns John Ortiz as Sandy, one of the crooked cops, and Jennifer Ehle as Francis' wife, Abby. [...]

• Cut somewhat from the same cloth is The Ithacan Online. After speaking positively about the leads, Hannah Agatston goes on to say:

[...] The other actors in 'Pride and Glory' do a mediocre job of holding the audience’s interest, except for Frannie’s wife, played by Jennifer Ehle, who evokes emotion as she battles with cancer. [...]

It looked delicious...but wasn't

• Alone in this group is David Adams at 360 Entertaiment, who gives Pride and Glory several hints of praise, before suggesting we rent The Departed instead.

The sour laces

• There's always one, and this week it is Matt Soergel of The Times-Union, who proves in just two sentences why the 'nay' crown should go to him. Directly behind him however is Alexa Santoro of the Daily Collegian, who ends up bestowing a C+ despite an unutterably scorching first sentence.

That nice one you didn't realise was left

• In other news, Broadway World reveals that in just a week's time, Jennifer Ehle will be utilising her presenting skills again! She will be one of several guest presenters at the New York part of the 24th Annual Artios Awards, which honour excellence in casting. Exciting stuff! As the website explains:

[...] The awards will be presented at coast-to-coast ceremonies on Monday, November 10th, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and Caroline’s on Broadway in New York. Guest presenters in New York will include Bryan Batt, Jason Biggs, Robert Buckey, Danny Burstein, Bobby Cannavale, Jennifer Ehle, John Gallagher, Gavin Lee, Norm Lewis, Rebecca Luker, Alan Menkin, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hunter Parrish, Kristen Schall, Sherie Renee Scott, and Michael Urie, among others. [...]

Hamlet / The EIFF

Hamlet

• Yesterday evening was the opening night of Shakespeare in the Park's Hamlet. Ms Ehle (described by Brian Scott Lipton as 'lovely') attended as did former Utopian Ethan Hawke, while David Harbour was among the cast. The above photos constitute the majority from Getty Images. (See Wireimage and Theatermania for gorgeous variations on a theme.) For more about the production, visit the Public Theater's website.

Before the Rains at the EIFF

• Secondly, the 62nd Edinburgh International Film Festival kicked off today and will run through to the 29th. Before the Rains is one of 142 films appearing, and forms part of the 'Gala' section. It will be shown tomorrow (19th) and Friday 20th. There is no sign of any cast/crew attendance at present. Post-festival, the film will be released on July 25 in the UK, before making its way to Australia, New Zealand and Russia.

• Also, Mark Kilian's beautiful soundtrack for the movie, released by Lakeshore Records, is now available on iTunes. (A reminder that a snippet of the score can be accessed on the official Before the Rains website).

• In the press arena, the Herald's Alison Rowat briefly highlights the film as one of sixteen to look out for over the festival. IndieWire also mention that Rains drew 'huge crowds' at the recent Maui Film Festival in Hawaii.

• Blog-wise, it is a mixed verdict from viewer Creative Loafing but he does give some interesting thoughts - some important, some slightly less important:

On the visuals:

[...] Before the Rains is filled with stunning landscapes and handsome period costumes, with expert cinematography that makes even the most mundane objects sparkle like the artificial dirt at Disney's Animal Kingdom. [...]

On the character of Henry Moores:

[...] [Moores is] a British plantation owner who doesn't understand all the fuss over colonialism, since all he wants to do is build schools, hospitals and a road to transport spices across India. "Today tea, tomorrow cinnamon," crows this self-described "man of the future," a benevolent dictator who sincerely loves India, even as he snags, depletes and discards her resources. [...]

On feet:

[...] The film takes place in 1937 in the Kerala region of India, where the bottoms of the locals' feet are never dirty despite everyone walking around barefoot all day. [...]

• Lastly, the words of Edinburgh writer Matthew Turner are largely synoptic, but he does consider Ms Ehle 'as lovely as ever'. In summary, he says:

[...] The cast do their best (Bose and Das are particularly good, though Ehle's rather wasted as Laura) but the end result is rather underwhelming. ... Watchable enough, though and the scenery is fantastic. [...]

Ivanov

• As you may have guessed, 'to be or not to be' is still the question here, but we'll keep you posted!

(Photo from Wireimage)

Pit Stop

Greetings all!

Firstly, can I just second the thanks for the Blog's birthday wishes, and thank you again to the phenomenal T!

Rains-wise today:

• The Adirondack Daily Enterprise note that Before the Rains will be shown at the Lake Placid Film Forum, occurring June 12-15:

[...] “Before the Rains,” which will also be screened on June 12 at the Palace Theater, is set in 1937 in a picturesque hill station in the south of India. Director Santosh Sivan, who also did the sublime cinematography, creates an increasingly tense atmosphere as his leading character, an English plantation owner played by Linus Roache, begins an affair with an Indian house maid. [...]

The Forum's website adds that 'Paul Hardart, one of the film's producers and the president of Adirondack Pictures, will host this screening.'

• There are more tidbits on the three Houston wins (Film, Cinematography and Music). See Galatta and IndiaFM.
• One Rediff reporter was happy with the film, although 'tut tut' to the mistake:

[...] In the early hours of the New York morning, Sivan's film transported me back to pre-independence Kerala. Sivan's stunning camerawork and Rahul Bose's quiet and moving performance made up for the lapses in the film's script. ... Two days later, I was at the Soho House...in the Meatpacking district of Manhattan for the press day of Before The Rains. Bose and Nandita Das were there along with the two British stars of the film -- Linus Roache and Jennifer Ehle. [...]

Another blogger is equally complimentary, calling the film 'visually breathtaking'. She adds:

[...] As the wife of the English planter, Jennifer Ehle gives an amazing performance. When she realizes what has happened between her husband and the servant girl, I thought her glare alone would kill her husband. [...]

• The critics are ushering lots of love in the direction of Mr Bose (see India FM for a taster). Also, ION Cinema speak to the actor, while Movie Web have a video chat about the film and Mr Bose's other passion, professional rugby. Elsewhere, Linus Roache tells Daily News about working in India.

Rains info from the first of those is as follows:

[...] Before The Rains releases in America on May 9. It's going to play in New York and 10 other cities. Not in the NRI theatres, but it's definitely an art house release. So director Santosh Sivan and I hope to make an impact beyond the song-and-dance formula with this one," says Rahul from Los Angeles. [The film] goes to the UK in summer. [It] has just won three major awards at the Houston Film Festival. "It's a triumph for Santosh on so many levels. A film in English from India winning the awards for Best Film, Best Cinematography and Best Music… it's incredible!" says Rahul, who plays the male lead in Santosh's cross-cultural colonial love story.

Rahul is in LA for the screening of Before The Rains before he moves to Houston for a gala screening. "There'll be an auctioning of the film for me by the NGO Pratham. My sympathies with the people who'll have to lunch with me," jokes Rahul. About the film, Rahul says, "It's a film-noire about an illicit love relationship and how I get caught. It's definitely an art house product with an element of the whodunit." [...]

• Rukus Avenue have a picture of the-man-behind-the-music, Mark Kilian, in action at the IFFLA. (Second photo down). They consider 'walking out of Santosh Sivan’s Before the Rains screening and finding the film’s composer...performing selections from the soundtrack' to have been one of the most memorable moments of the Rhythm Village Festival.

In other news:

• Playbill note that Time magazine have listed Tom Stoppard as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. The page on Sir Tom was written by a certain Mr Hawke. Here is a snippet:

[...] I remember when I was younger being intimidated by the intellect, scope and verbiage of his plays; they were impressive but written for some elite group to which I had not been given membership. But I came to find that more often than not, the audience left the theater impressed with themselves. He'd challenged them, and they'd answered. [...]

• The Rankin Vault urge everyone to pick up the works of J. Ehle Snr:

[...] If you haven't read any of Ehle's novels about Western North Carolina, you are missing one of the greats. His novels clearly show he is a man who wrote ahead of his time. [...]

• TimesOnline chat to Peter Hall as he uncovers another new star, and he re-tells the story of how he discovered someone else 17 years ago:

[...] “I always write on my audition notes something that will help me remember them afterwards,” he recalls. “This extraordinary girl came in and read, and was remarkable. And I wrote on my sheet of paper ‘voice like Rosemary Harris’. And, of course, it was her daughter, Jennifer Ehle, whom I didn’t know.” [...]

• Lastly, one lovely blogger gives an insight into the many and varied ways the world enjoys Pride and Prejudice:

[...] I ironed a ridiculously wrinkled pair of pants while watching part of the BBC (Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle) version of Pride and Prejudice. [...]

Well, why not?! Being mentally in Meryton certainly makes household chores more bearable!

Very little time + very little news = very short post

No flourishes or cheesy commentary today - just links, straight up.

• Here is another photo of Jennifer Ehle at the Monte Cristo Award ceremony, courtesy of Playbill.



• Before the Rains was the recipient of the Grand Remi Award at the WorldFest-Houston Film Festival.



• Cinematical refers to Before the Rains as one of the highlights of the opening night of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles.



• There's a not-so-good review of Rains at IndieWIRE, where the Tribeca critics categorized the film as "Constipated Beauty."



• However, to counter that is a positive review at YRFilms:

  Bollywood A-list cinematographer and art house director Santosh Sivan is one of the few directors who has the double duty of lensing as well as directing his own films. He returns with another stunning film after THE TERRORIST left us craving for more of his talent.This film based on a short Israeli film called "Yellow Asphalt: Red Roofs" is about the conflict an Indian man who's torn between his loyalty to the British and his native villagers after he witnesses his boss having an illicit affair with a married maid that threatens his existence in the volatile colonial India of 1930s. A great story with a sumptuous setting along with a superb cast including Linus Roache, Rahul Bose, Nandita Das and Jennifer Ehle makes this film a must see. Sivan brings his magic behind and in front of the camera and makes him one of the best directors in India.

• I saved the best for last: The Michael Clayton shooting script is available for download at Big Screen Little Screen. (Thanks for the tip T!)

Rainbows, Rains and Rockefeller

Greetings all!

On Monday night, Ms Ehle was one of many well-known faces who went along to the Rockefeller Plaza's Rainbow Room to support playwright Neil Simon, who was receiving the Monte Cristo Award from the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. (Photo from Theatermania).

The Courant have more information, revealing that Ms Ehle was also more than just a spectator in the event:

[...] The 80-year-old Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer...was feted with dinner, speeches and scenes performed from his plays. ... Among the performers were Lucie Arnaz...and husband Laurence Luckinbill, who did a scene from "Chapter Two;" Jennifer Ehle was poignant in a scene from "The Good Doctor"; and Bob Dishy and Dick Latessa scored huge laughs with a scene from "The Sunshine Boys". [...]

• Before the Rains meanwhile continues to make its way round the film festivals. With the Sarasota Film Festival having recently ended, the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) began yesterday and will continue through April 27. For any in the vicinity, Rhythm Village note that Before the Rains soundtrack composer Mark Kilian will be performing tracks from the film live tonight between 9 and 9.30pm. The film itself will be shown tonight at 7.15pm.

• And just when you thought that was it, the Tribeca Film Festival also starts today! That festival will run through May 4, with Before the Rains being screened April 29, May 1 and May 2.

In other news:

• The Kudzu Gazette speak to John Ehle about the aforementioned NCSA name change:

John Ehle, a founding father of the school, thinks the name change is a “tricky” situation. “It [NCSA] is not a university,” Mr. Ehle said in a phone interview. “If it is characterized as a university it will become the only university in the system that picks its students based on auditions and portfolios.” He went on to add, “The school has a dynamic chancellor and maybe he can make it work out, but I don’t know what will happen after he leaves.”

The Carolina Mountains Literary Festival also report that Mr Ehle will be one of many authors participating in that event which is being held September 12 and 13 in Burnsville, North Carolina.

• Jeffrey Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere stands up for Pride and Glory and lists Jennifer Ehle as one of those who give a 'special' performance in the film. There is only one thing that puzzles him:

[...] (Her) head is shaved in this thing - what's that about? [...]

• And very lastly, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette have a nice piece on ex-Utopian Erika Rolfsrud, while Tom Stoppard makes Oxford University smile by speaking to their student newspaper, the Cherwell.

Sarasota: In Pictures

More photos from the now ended Sarasota Film Festival are now available for viewing on Elevation. (There are four of Jennifer Ehle). As is evident, there is more pretty green florality from the Luncheon Under The Banyans, and then some pretty blue dottiness from the World Cinema Celebration. See the website for another variation on the latter.

Pictured with Ms Ehle are Before the Rains producer Mark Burton (Photo 2) and Rosemary Harris and producer/actor/director Norman Lloyd (Photo 3).

Press-wise, the Sarasota Herald Tribune report seeing a certain 'young, blond, talented actress' at the Liv Ullmann tribute luncheon, while the official Sarasota Film Festival website lists both Rosemary Harris and Ms Ehle as attendees of the ten-day event.

• Ashok R. Chandran of the Loyola School in Trivandrum meanwhile interviews director Santosh Sivan. The Rains-related pieces are as follows:

[...] Santosh Sivan is taking Loyola to Hollywood. On 9 May, Before the Rains, his first Hollywood movie — an English language film, an American production — will hit the screens of New York and Los Angeles. I haven’t heard of any Hollywood movie set in colonial Kerala, or with Malayalam dialogues. In that sense, Santosh Sivan is probably taking Kerala (not just Loyola) to Hollywood. [...]

Sivan says:

[...] It was a dream to release a Malayalam/English film in the US. So Before the Rains is a first of its kind, presented by Merchant-Ivory. When we were to make it, the folks at Hollywood asked me, “Why Malayalam? Our research says, Hindi and Punjabi are better options, since Malayalis don’t see films and only buy pirated VCDs”!

Q. Asoka was partly inspired by your history teacher in Loyola. ... Is there a Loyola connection to Before the Rains?

A. Though the story is from the Hollywood producers, it deals with a colonial background, where there are always cultures clashing. For instance, it’s perfectly normal for us to sit in front of computers and crack our head on logic, and equally normal to sit and do religious rituals and break coconuts. I was always fascinated with the roads that wind up into the Wayanad hills, and the efforts to build them. Sort of clashing of nature and man. A road is always a leftover of the clash. And becomes timeless. So many landmarks are British. So these images trigger off. Imagining about them and their life in Kerala and our forefathers, and their relationship. The movie is about such people. Rahul Bose, who is caught in-between and the choices he has to make. So with Linus Roache, Jennifer Ehle, and Nandita [Das] who all have to make choices. It resonates today too where all have to make choices. The film explores the grey areas. No one is stereotyped black or white. [...]

• As part of the 40th anniversary of New York Magazine, Jeremy McCarter rounds up the last forty years of New York theatre. The Coast of Utopia is one of the few recent productions that receive mention:

[...] THE COAST OF UTOPIA, 2006–2007

Arcadia and Rock ’n’ Roll are better plays, but director Jack O’Brien made Tom Stoppard’s epic about nineteenth-century Russian intellectuals a once-in-a-generation showcase for New York talent: Brían F. O’Byrne, Ethan Hawke, Billy Crudup, and Martha Plimpton, plus their co-stars, plus genius designers, plus an audience that kept the trilogy running long past Lincoln Center’s expectations. It was a milestone even before it broke the record for Tonys for a play. [...]

In other news:

• The Daily Mail report that Pride and Prejudice screenwriter Andrew Davies is recovering at home after sadly being attacked in an altercation while walking his dog. We wish him a swift recovery.
  
• One writer comments on the current name change debate surrounding North Carolina School of the Arts, attended by Ms Ehle and helped to be established by her father.
  
• Rains' Rahul Bose takes part in an online conversation for IndiaFM.
  
• And last but not least, for stateside fans in mourning after the culmination of The Complete Jane Austen, Jane Austen Today offer some thoughtful Austen-related alternatives.

It's raining in Sarasota!

Before the Rains

• The Sarasota Film Festival is now well underway, with one screening of Before the Rains gone, and the other occuring in a few hours. If you have seen the film at Sarasota or at any other location, we would love to hear from you!
  
  
• Radio SRQ report that Jennifer Ehle is expected to attend tonight's World Cinema Celebration, which is honoring actress Liv Ullmann and is one of many events happening all over the area as part of the Festival.
  
  
• Meanwhile, if you live in Los Angeles, Calendar Live report what appears to be a screening-and-speaker session for the film on April 21 at the Wadsworth Theater. Guest speakers taking part include actor Rahul Bose and producer Andrew Spaulding.
  
  
• The Hindustan Times have a quick chat to Mr. Bose while Television Point speak to Santosh Sivan about his and Bose's latest project as competition judges.
  
  
• A reminder that you can access all the press materials for the film at the official Before the Rains site. Here are some interesting excerpts from the Production Notes on how the film came to be:

The inspiration:

[...] Co-producer Amotz Zakai showed Mankoff and Spaulding an Israeli film by Dany Verete called “The Desert Trilogy: Yellow Asphalt,” and were captivated by a 50 minute short film within it, called “Red Roofs.” This story - of an Israeli farmer who has an illicit affair with his housemaid and forces his Bedouin assistant to deal with the increasingly dangerous situation – was extremely moving to both of them, and Mankoff suggested the idea of transplanting this universal story back to 1930s colonial India. [...]

The script:

[...] Mark then introduced the team to writer Cathy Rabin, whose script “Livingstone Falls” spoke to both the tone and the themes of the project. Cathy did enormous amounts of research on life amongst Indians and the British during the tumultuous 1930s, and she delivered an exquisite and compelling script. [...]

The shoot:

[...] The film was shot in the remote region of Munnar, Kerala, hours up winding mountain roads from any city. The state is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful places in the world. Production designer Sunil Babu led a dedicated local art department who built an entire village (comprised of over thirty structures), a bridge, a small town and a ferry boat all from scratch. Local craftspeople hand-made everything from the costumes and the props to the drapes inside the characters’ homes. [...]

Miscellaneous:

• Among the featured selection for Broadway Cares this month is 'The Fourth Wall' - a collection of photographic portraits of actors in public spaces. Bookcourt mention that Utopians Ethan Hawke and Martha Plimpton are among those photographed.
• Times Online interview Tom Stoppard about Hapgood, 'eerily quotable sentences' and wonky 'Rs'.
• Lastly, Amazon are now selling the first-ever fully annotated Pride and Prejudice for just $11. Annotations include explanations of historical context, citations from Austen’s life, illustrations and maps, and literary analyses and clarifications. Happy thought indeed.

Anyone live at Jennifer Ehle Court?!

Greetings all!

April Fools' apology:

Firstly, apologies for yesterday. If I am honest, 'Pine Terrace' does not, strictly speaking, exist. Although happy thought on the cast list if it did!

Any other business:

• If you have many rubles in the bank and are free from April 4th through 13th, here is a list of all the parties and galas that will be happening as part of the Sarasota Film Festival in Florida.


• A reminder that Ms Ehle's film Before the Rains will be screened at the Festival on the following dates:
  - Tuesday, April 8th, 5:15pm, Regal Cinemas Hollywood 20, Theater 7.
  - Wednesday, April 9th, 5:45pm, Regal Cinemas Hollywood 20, Theater 11.

Visit the website to purchase tickets.

• Sticking with the theme, Bollywood Buzz and The Deccan Herald interview Rains star Rahul Bose, although the film is not discussed.

Pride and Prejudice:

• Digital Spy reveal that Ms Ehle is helping children pass exams, albeit in an indirect way:

[...] One in ten pupils "cheat" in English lessons by watching film adaptations instead of reading the original books, a poll has found. Baz Luhrmann 's Romeo And Juliet, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, was revealed to be a favourite of schoolchildren forced to study Shakespeare's play. Watching the BBC adaptation of Pride And Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle was also a popular alternative to Jane Austen's book. [...]

Not that PBS minds, in fact they advocate it. In this aesthetically pleasing Teacher's Guide, they provide 'before' and 'after' viewing questions for all of Miss Austen's books. Here is an 'after':

[...] In what ways is Elizabeth out of place within her own family? In what ways does the family she was born into limit what she can do with her “lively mind”? How does she feel about her mother, father, younger sisters? What do Darcy and Pemberley represent to Elizabeth? Ask students to select a scene from the novel or film in which Elizabeth must cope with her family and write a monologue for her. What is Elizabeth thinking and feeling at that moment and why? [...]

Who knew school could be so fun?

• Ohio.com meanwhile report that the Cleveland Play House have attempted a stage version of Pride and Prejudice. If you are interested to know what it looks like, this short video with Associate Artistic Director Seth Gordon will provide a taster. (The link is beneath the picture.)

Lastly, for a bit of fun:

• Journal Now reveal that there has been a theft at 'John Ehle Court'. Which begs the question - how long before there is a 'Jennifer Ehle Court'? Let us know if one already exists. Or, better still, if you live there!

A silver-dressed Masteress!

• The evening of November 5 was the New York Public Library's Library Lions event, for which Jennifer Ehle served as Master of Ceremonies. The above photos are from Getty Images. The only post-event article so far is from The Associated Press, although it does not mention Ms Ehle. We will let you know if any others appear!
  
• Middle East Events mention that Before the Rains is in the line-up to be screened at the Dubai International Film Festival from 9-16 December 2007. Their description of the film is as follows:

Before the Rains, the English language debut of acclaimed director Santosh Sivan (The Terrorist, Asoka) portrays the dilemma of a married British colonialist in 1930’s India who is caught having an affair with his beautiful housemaid. By contrasting the beliefs and lifestyles of the local villagers and the colonialists, the film explores the predicament of people who straddle two cultures.

In an article about Sharon Stone's involvement in the festival, DNA meanwhile quotes DIFF chairman Abdul Hamid Juma as singling out the film as one of a select group:

[...] Indian films have always been of utmost importance at DIFF and ‘AIDS Jagoo’ along with other Indian films like Shivaji Chandrabhushan’s ‘Frozen’ and Adoor Gopalkrishnan’s ‘Four Women’, Santosh Sivan’s ‘Before the Rains’ will be one of the most essential screenings at the festival. [...]

See the official DIFF website for more information.

• Related to the aforementioned Pride and Glory trailer, AceShowbiz has a brief bit of further information in terms of plot and how the film came about:

[...] It mostly centers on the character Norton plays, Ray Tierney, giving us a peek on his family of cops and his investigation on a corruption scandal that involves his own brother and brother-in-law. [...]

ComNetSlash give this plot outline:

[...] Director Gavin O’Connor collaborates with Narc director/screenwriter Joe Carnahan on this family focused police drama concerning an honest homicide detective (Edward Norton) assigned to investigate the precinct run by his potentially crooked older brother (Noah Emmerich). As the investigation begins to reveal some troubling facts about the precinct, it gradually becomes apparent that the policeman who is also the older brother’s best friend (Colin Farrell) may be the man orchestrating many of the suspected crimes. [...]

See our post from April 2006 for (brief!) quotage from director Gavin O'Connor and a few snippets about the film's creative team.

• As Playbill notes, November 4 was the final performance of Oscar and the Pink Lady, starring Rosemary Harris. That evening was also the Broadway opening of Tom Stoppard's latest play, Rock 'n' Roll. Press-wise, see The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Sun, Newsday, North Jersey and The Star Ledger. Also, if you haven't already seen it, The New York Times' Times Topics page for Tom Stoppard has some audiovisual Utopia-related items, including an interesting serf slide show!
  
• Finally, as if the collective mantlepiece was not full to the point of collapse already, The Coast of Utopia has won yet another award! The Hollywood Reporter announce that Daniel Swee has picked up the prize for dramatic theatre casting at the 23rd annual Artios Awards in Los Angeles. And while we're on the subject of congratulating Utopians, s dniom razhdjenia to Ethan Hawke, who is 37 today!

Jennifer Ehle to attend TIFF

News! Jennifer Ehle is expected to be among the 500+ guests attending the Toronto International Film Festival, which will begin on September 6th:

The 32nd Toronto International Film Festival welcomes over 500 international stars and special guests. These filmmakers, actors, and industry insiders, connected to Festival films and other Festival programming, represent the finest in film talent from around the world. [...]

Continue reading to see the full (star-studded!) roster.
(And many thanks to our anonymous helpster for the tip.)

Variety informs us that TIFF has announced the Festival's complete lineup, which includes 349 films from 55 different countries. (According to Variety's blog, that is over 600 hours of film!) The complete list can be viewed at the TIFF site. Note that Before the Rains is included in the Special Presentations category, as is Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, starring a certain Rosemary Harris. The complete film schedule will become available online on August 28th.

In other Festival news, PlayBack tells us that Before the Rains director Santosh Sivan will be a participant in TIFF's Talent Lab:

What do you get when you cross 22 emerging Canadian filmmakers with directors John Sayles and Don McKellar and select TIFF guests for four days?

"Unparalleled artistic development opportunities and an introduction to the global filmmaking community," says Kelley Alexander, TIFF director of industry initiatives.

Participants are in for a treat as this year's high-profile Talent Lab mentors will be joined by music icon and filmmaker Daniel Lanois (Here Is What Is), director Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club), filmmaker Santosh Sivan (Before the Rains) and director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking), as well as emerging U.K. filmmakers David Alexander and Osbert Parker, and Ishaku Gumut from Nigeria. [...]

Talent Lab, according to the TIFF site, "offers artistic development opportunities to emerging Canadian filmmakers in a four-day intensive programme that gives them the opportunity to build their networks in a creative environment, and learn from some of the most esteemed filmmakers and artists in the world."

The socially conscious Sivan will also be taking part in one of four Mavericks presentations at the Festival:

Mira Nair Presents Four Views on AIDS in India brings together Mira Nair (THE NAMESAKE), Santosh Sivan (BEFORE THE RAINS), Vishal Bhardwaj (OMKARA) and Farhan Akhtar (DON) - four of India's most innovative and celebrated directors - for a discussion of the AIDS JAAGO Project, as well as the issue of HIV/AIDS in India and the world at large. A development of Nairs own Mirabai Films and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the project explores different aspects of HIV/AIDS in India, using some of Indian cinemas most celebrated actors to help maximize the exposure of the films to audiences throughout the country. The four short films - featuring performances by Prabhu Deva, Irrfan Khan, Shabana, Azmi, Shiney Ahuja, Ayesha Takia, Boman Irani, Raima Sen, Siddharth, and Sameera Reddy - will screen as part of this insightful Mavericks presentation, also featuring a discussion between the four directors working to dismantle the myths and misconceptions associated with HIV/AIDS.

The Festival is less than two weeks away! If any of you, dear readers, are able to attend and have the pleasure of seeing Before the Rains, please consider sharing your opinions with us poor souls at the blog.

The 61st Annual Tony Awards!

Before we get going, have a look at the Tonys site to see pictures of Jennifer Ehle last evening at the pre-Tony champagne reception.

Go to the Tonys website now to see all of the pre-Tonys and Tonys coverage!

Please join us at the Live Chat!

Two words: Tony. Awards.

First things first. Don't forget to join us at the Tonys live chat! It's less than 24 hours away and it's going to be a lot of fun!

• In their 4th video poll, Broadway.com asked the Tony nominees, "How Will You Get Red Carpet Ready?" Watch to hear Jennifer Ehle's response. (Note: It's towards the end of the video).
• To see some photo coverage of the "Stars in the Alley" concert, including a couple of pictures of Ms Ehle and Ms Plimpton, visit BroadwayWorld. Broadway.com has more photos from the same event. Also, Jennifer Naimo of Jersey Boys talks about performing in "Stars in the Alley" on her official website, and she mentions seeing the Utopian women there.
• More photos of Jennifer Ehle and Rosemary Harris at the Theatre World Awards can be found at both Broadway.com and Playbill.
• BroadwayWorld has video coverage of the Outer Critics Awards ceremony and there is an interview with cool cat Martha Plimpton, who won the award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
• At the Tonys website, there are a couple of things that might be of interest. Show Business: The Road to Broadway (Parts 1 & 2) are available online as is an interview with the executive producers of the Tonys telecast.
• The results of the BroadwayWorld Fans' Choice Awards are now in. Sadly, Jennifer Ehle lost the award for Best Featured Actress to her cast mate by a mere percentage point, but The Coast of Utopia proved to be quite popular as a whole. You can click here to see the final percentages in each of the categories.
• Paul Wontorek, the Editor-in-Chief of Broadway.com, gives his Tony predictions, including some notes on what he sees as the really competitive categories and the possible spoilers.
• Our faithful friend Broadway.com has also put together a nice tally of what the Broadway journalists have predicted. 90% of the pundits have slated The Coast of Utopia for a win, and 75% have predicted that Martha Plimpton will go home with a Tony. (Jennifer Ehle came in 2nd with 20% of the votes.) Matt Windman of AM New York, has put together a similar tally of predictions. Have a look if you can bear it.
• Josh R provides a rationale as to why Martha Plimpton may have the edge over Ms Ehle:

  [...] Forget about that annoying little girl from The Goonies – in The Coast of Utopia, Martha Plimpton confirmed her status as a stage actress of remarkable presence and charisma. For as much praise as I’ve lavished on her co-star Jennifer Ehle, who excels in three very different roles, this is actually a close call from my perspective. While Ehle dominated the trilogy’s middle passage, "Shipwreck," it was Plimpton who really shone in "Salvage," the concluding installment – consequently, the latter’s achievement is probably fresher in the minds of Tony voters. As the emotionally volatile Natasha, whose vivacious, impetuous nature hardens into a mass of vacillating feelings fueled by self-recrimination, she was nothing less than a revelation – something her inevitable victory will reflect. SHOULD WIN: Jennifer Ehle (The Coast of Utopia) WILL WIN: Martha Plimpton (The Coast of Utopia) [...]

• The New York Post gives us some predictions as well as something to keep in mind while watching the Tonys (even if it is a little disheartening):

  [...] In a nutshell: Quite a few of the 740 Tony voters don't bother to see all the nominated productions yet still vote in all the categories. It's a big no-no, but pretty much everybody does it...A Broadway publicist estimates that even the hit shows draw only about 70 percent of Tony voters...But, as one cynic says, "The purpose of the Tonys is to sell tickets, though it's in the guise of being an artistic award. So there's no urgency to change the system." [...]

• Okay, that's the end of the predictions. Phew! Be sure to watch the 61st Annual Tony Awards Ceremony tonight, June 10th, at 8:00pm US EST on CBS! Squeeeeee!!!!

Sing Out Louise!

• At BroadwayWorld you can find several cute pictures of Jennifer Ehle and Rosemary Harris at the Theater World Awards, which took place yesterday, June 5th. SarahB was lucky enough to attend the event, and she has posted some of her own photos on her blog.
• You can also see a photo of Jennifer Ehle at this afternoon's "Stars in the Alley" concert at the Tonys website. There is a thread at BroadwayWorld where people have been discussing the concert. Apparently, someone recorded it and has been kind enough to post some of the video footage at YouTube. Corine's Corner also has some information about today's "Stars in the Alley," including a complete cast list.
• "Meet the Nominees on Video: Part 5" has now been posted on the Tonys website.
• New Yorkers, set your Tivo. According to Playbill, WCBS-TV will be airing a one-hour "Tony Awards Preview Special" on June 10th at 11:00am. Supposedly, there will be interviews with some of this year's nominees. Cross your fingers!
• Playbill also informs us that there will be a Tonys-themed episode of "Theater Talk" on June 10th on CUNY-TV. There will be interviews with many of the nominees, but unfortunately Jennifer Ehle is not included in the line-up. The show starts at 8:00pm, so if you'd like to watch it, be sure to set your Tivo because you will be watching the Tony Awards at that time!
• Are you dying to attend the Tonys ceremony but were not able to get tickets? Well, Playbill says you can "Sing for Your Tonys Tickets" on June 8th by entering a talent competition in Herald's Square. The judges will be Orfeh, Mo Rocca, and Tommy Tune and the prize: two tickets to the Tonys. See Playbill for more details.
• Finally, no post would be complete without a few Tony predictions. Entertainment Weekly has added its picks to the fold, and Howard and Shubow of BroadwayWorld have published their thoughts as well. The New York Observer and Idol Thoughts of blogland also get in on the prediction-making. If you find all the predicting of the past few weeks a bit confusing, the Envelope has put together a "scorecard" to keep track of what the bigwigs have said.

Only 4 days until the Tonys!!!!

The Heroic Spirit of Actors

The Tonys are less than one week away. Let the countdown begin!

• BroadwayWorld announces that Jennifer Ehle, along with many other actors, will be making a special appearance at the free outdoor concert "Stars in the Alley." This event will take place in Shubert Alley (West 44th St., West of 7th Ave) on Wednesday June 6th at 11:00am. According to the Stars in the Alley website, this concert "features performances and special appearances by cast members from Broadway's most popular musicals and plays." For those of us who cannot attend, a video montage of the event will be available on the website after June 10th. For those of you who are planning to go, there is a thread at All That Chat where people have been offering advice as per the best time to arrive, etc.
• At New York Magazine there is a short article about the nominated actors from The Coast of Utopia, which includes a few pictures and quotes:
  

  [...] Ehle, who took a new role in each segment, sounds almost wistful, adding that “everybody feels like they’re all a part of the nominations. It’s a blessing that we get to keep celebrating it and each other.” [...]

• Backstage.com offers a "Salute to the Tonys" and points out that "[t]he great thing about this year's Tony nominations — in the acting categories especially — is how stiff the competition is." The article also includes a profile of all 40 Tony nominated actors. Here's what they have to say about our favorite:
  

  [...] Jennifer Ehle, who seven years ago lit up Broadway with her Tony-winning performance in the revival of another Stoppard play, The Real Thing, did the virtually impossible in The Coast of Utopia: In the first part, Voyage, she played Liubov, one of the four sisters of Ethan Hawke's Michael Bakunin, an aristocrat turned anarchist; in the second part, Shipwreck, she was Natalie, wife of Brían F. O'Byrne's philosopher Alexander Herzen; and in the final part, Salvage, she was Malwida von Meysenbug, the German governess supervising Herzen's growing brood. Each of the characters, from their bearing to their voices to the reactions on their faces as Stoppard's sprawling drama plays out, seemed distinct and, improbably enough, distinguished as a portrait of a 19th-century woman. Ehle remains one of our best young actors, and here's a toast to her return. [...]

• There is a cute "Cue & A" with funny girl Martha Plimpton at Playbill. (Note: She can rewire a lamp in under five minutes!) Ms. Plimpton has also added a new blog entry to her MySpace page, which is viewable to everyone.
• The Connecticut Post has an interview with David Pittu, and there is an article at the New York Times about all five nominees for Best Actor in a Play, including Brian F. O'Byrne.
• "The Road to the Tonys: Episode 3" has now been posted on the Tonys website along with a video guide for the week leading up to the Tonys (eg. THIS week!). Some things that might be of interest are 1) an interview with the executive producers of this year's Tony Awards telecast, who will give us some insight into how the Tonys are broadcast and 2) "some never-before seen cut footage from Show Business: The Road to Broadway. See exclusive Tony-related footage shot for this feature film, which opens in cinemas across the US this spring."
• Just in case anyone is interested, there will be performances by many of the Tony nominated musicals on various talk shows this week. Playbill has published a list of shows that will be featured on "Live with Regis and Kelly" as well as a more general "Talk Show Watch." There is also a thread on All That Chat where other upcoming television performances are mentioned.
• At BroadwayWorld, being.jeremiah has posted the New York Times "Critics' Picks" for the Tonys. (Unfortunately, they did not make any picks in the featured acting categories). The New York Daily News offers their Tony predictions as well.
• Jacques Le Sourd of Journal News 'wraps up' the Broadway season and provides a list of all of the shows that opened, along with a review of each. Here is some of what he has to say about The Coast of Utopia: (Warning: it's a bit of a backhanded compliment.)

  [...] The man who saved the whole absurd project from terminal boredom was director Jack O'Brien, who kept the illusion of movement alive with the great ebb and flow of a huge, gorgeously dressed cast on a beautiful mirrored set. The best part, every night, was the elaborate curtain call (to soaring music by Mark Bennett) at the end. It signaled more than the end of torture. It said something about the foolhardy but heroic spirit of actors, if not playwrights. [...]

• Well, life goes on. Playbill tells us that a production of Shakespeare's Cymbeline, directed by Mark Lamos, will succeed The Coast of Utopia at the Vivian Beaumont Theater.
• And, in other new, the Citizen-Times reports that John Ehle will be taking part in a celebration honoring the recently deceased Asheville writer, Wilma Dykeman, on June 13th.

Multimedia Galore!

Okay maybe not galore, but there are some exciting finds:

• First off, BroadwayWorld has some great video interviews with many of the Tony nominees, including Jennifer Ehle. (And it's more than 2 seconds long!)
• Broadway.com has created a page for each one of this year's nominees, complete with factoids, Tony odds, and video clips. They have this to say about Jennifer Ehle's chances for winning:

  In what may be one of the most wide open Tony races of all, Ehle is perhaps the frontrunner—because of her integrity and her meaty roles in all three plays of the trilogy.

  Be sure to check out the pages for Martha Plimpton, Billy Crudup, Ethan Hawke, and Brian F. O'Byrne to see more video clips from all three parts of The Coast of Utopia. (5 acting nominees + 1 Best Play nominee = a lot of video clipage!)
• "Meet the Nominees on Video: Part 4" is available at the Tonys site.
• The Tonys site also announces that on June 9th, the evening before the Tonys, there will be "a champagne reception hosted by Hilton Hotels, honoring the 2007 Tony Award nominees. Past winners, presenters, Tony Awards marketing partners, and other VIPs will get one final chance to wish the nominees luck before their big day."
• For those of you who live in NYC, a panel discussion about the Tonys will be held on June 5th at Ars Nova. Michael Riedel, a columnist for the New York Post, will be the moderator. See Playbill for more details.
• There is yet another thread of Tony predictions at BroadwayWorld. Note that there are quite a few picks for both women of Utopia.
• According to TheaterMania, "Broadway set a new record for ticket grosses - $939 million - during the 2006-2007 season." Supposedly, The Coast of Utopia brought in $11.2 million, the most of all the non-musicals. (See Platinum Broadway.)
• There is some exciting news about the soon-to-be-released Coast of Utopia CD. Playbill announces:

  [...] To celebrate the release of the CD, composer Bennett and Utopia cast members Martha Plimpton, David Pittu and Felicity LaFortune will make an appearance at the Barnes & Noble Lincoln Square that day. The June 12 event will begin at 5:30 PM. [...]

• And, BroadwayWorld has a list of other theater-related events that will take place at the Barnes & Noble Lincoln Center during the next couple of weeks.
• Remember that "Uncharted: Dan Lipton" will take place this Sunday, June 3rd, at Ars Nova. Martha Plimpton will also be taking part in this concert, which features the original music of Dan Lipton.
• Playbill informs us that the latest edition of Forbidden Broadway, the long running off-Broadway show, has been titled The Roast of Utopia. ItsCalledHistory at All That Chat found a description from Gold Star Events:

  THE ROAST OF UTOPIA Special Summer Edition is the brand new installment of the hilarious musical comedy that has been skewering Broadway's biggest shows and brightest stars for more than 25 years. The latest version of this 2006 TONY Honor recipient grills everything from Legally Blonde to Spring Awakening, Grey Gardens to Hairspray - even Annie, The Lion King, & Mary Poppins get burned! Nothing is sacred, and no one is off-limits. If you missed The Coast, see "The Roast!"

• John Longenbaugh of Seattle Weekly gets philosophical and asks, "How long should a play be?" He mentions that, "In the '90s, epics like Angels in America caught the zeitgeist, but the most common critical reaction to the current nine-hour Stoppard epic, The Coast of Utopia, is that, while it's good, even split across three evenings it's a butt numb-er."
• Finally, the Douglas Henshall Blog alerts us to some notable updates at the Douglas Henshall Website. A new page for The Painter of Dishonour has been created and The Relapse page has been updated. Visit these sites to see some production photos of Jennifer Ehle and to read the reviews.

Tonys Live Chat!

News is thinning out at the moment, so apologies for the paucity of meaty links. At Stage Door Rants there's a recap from the Outer Critics' Circle awards, including Jack O'Brien's speech:

[...] Jack O'Brien talked about the need for a national theatre here and mentioned creating a company where a group of amazing actors could come together and work and have a creative home. COAST was a very special, unique experience made possible by the extraordinary efforts of Lincoln Center but it shouldn't be - we should have a place where projects of this size happen because they have to and are good for the theatre. We all agreed. [...]

BroadwayWorld has coverage of the same event, with a couple of cute photos of Martha Plimpton and Mr O'Brien. More photos at BroadwayWorld, this time from the Drama Desks press room and after-party.

On the Tonys front, results from polling at Off-Off Broadway have Jennifer Ehle ahead of Ms Plimpton by a mere 7 votes, or 5%. It's going to be close! There's discussion at ATC to the same effect: everyone seems to agree it'll be a Utopian, but aren't sure which.

A couple of old reviews. First, one of Shipwreck by Margarent Croyden of NY Theatre Wire, which I have in my notes under "thbbbbt". Secondly, and with quite a different perspective, is commentary from 4th wall saying how Coast of Utopia revealed the meaning of life to the writer, no less. Some good quotage of the text there as well...and a call to arms Belinsky or Bakunin would've been proud of.

Meanwhile, we haven't been following John Ehle's work for some time- Press53 is republishing another of his works, The Free Men.

It's not too early to start preparing for the big night! The Tony Awards ceremony is on Sunday, June 10. The red carpet will be webcast from the Tonys site from 6.30pm and the ceremony will be telecast on CBS at 8pm. This is the Tonys webmaster's response on what international fans will be able to see:

The Tony Awards will be broadcast exclusively on CBS. Please visit TonyAwards.com before, during, and after the awards ceremony for complete text and photo coverage, with video interviews with winners and presenters, and much more.

The word from prior years is that there are real-time transcripts and plenty of multimedia to enjoy even though you can't see what's going on onstage. No excuses, get in on the excitement and partay like it's 2000! Er, yeah. It's no fun alone, so we are organising a live chat for the event. Mark your calendars:

• Date: Sunday, June 10
• Time: 6.30pm US EST (see your time zone)
• Place: Tonys Live Chatroom 2007

Don't be shy, come join in the merriment! There will be squeeing, finger-crossing, dress-snarking, speech-groaning and more. This is a chance not only to celebrate Ms Ehle's nomination and Utopia, but also to meet fellow fans. The chatroom only requires a Java-friendly browser; have a test of it now if you suspect yours is not compatible.

Past, Present and Future

• Drama Desk Award winner Martha Plimpton shows off her lovely dress at the ceremony on Sunday (scroll down, 5th photo). Here is another photo of her with the winner of the other Actress in a Play category, Eve Best (scroll down, 7th photo). There are also a few of Ms Plimpton at the Drama Desk Cocktail Reception on May 3rd.

• Some Utopians have exciting things lined up for the coming days and months. Martha Plimpton will be hosting and taking part in the Tiny Smooshy Sunday on Fire event on June 3rd. Click here for a list of other performers and for ticket and location information.

• The promised further details for Ethan Hawke's plans have now been revealed. He is, once again, favoring directing over acting and will be working on Jonathan Marc Sherman's Things We Want for The New Group for the 2007-2008 season.

• Across the pond, Charlotte Lucas is swimming the Channel! Lucy Petrie (formerly Lucy Scott) who played Miss Bennet's friend in the 1995 Pride and Prejudice is undertaking this challenge with her husband to raise money for premature babies. "Maybe I'll swim across in a bonnet" she joked!

• For $15 on eBay meanwhile, you can get yourself a window card from the Broadway production of The Real Thing.

• Lastly, for all you American Austenites out there, PBS is planning to devote some serious screen time to Jane's works. In January 2008, the channel will start broadcasting a four month marathon on Sunday nights, called The Complete Jane Austen. It will include the adaptations of all six novels (including the 1995 Pride and Prejudice) as well as Miss Austen Regrets, a new programme based on the author's diaries and letters. Capital, capital!
  

End of an era

Tis a sad day, losing the best partner in crime one could ever wish for. Chels, you've been the sanity of the blog, and without you this thing would've died a quiet death in 2005 already! All your fault. It's been a ball sharing the squeeful highs and angsty lows of this crazy rollercoaster with you, and a million thanks for your loyalty, support and hard yakka. This friendship has far outgrown its original fannish roots - shotgun on teaching your kids to embroider cushions and play their instruments very ill!

Well, the show must go on - til June at least. More on that later.

• The pictures above are courtesy of the LCT - their site also has some other Salvage stills. More pictures can be seen at Broadway.com's photo feature and in their video on the Salvage opening, according to Kate (ta) there's a clip of Ms Ehle as German-accented Malwida and interviewage.
• Playbill reports from the Salvage opening night bash.
• LCT blog updated with a post about the last opening. The LCT site also has a roundup of reviews, but nothing new there.
• On to Salvage reviews. Peter Marks, Washington Post.

  [...] Martha Plimpton, playing a woman Herzen conveniently turns to -- even though she's married to a friend of his -- not only makes for a wonderfully impetuous life force, but also a nifty counterpoint to the severe German nanny portrayed by Jennifer Ehle. As Herzen's friend Ogarev, Josh Hamilton provides a finely nuanced account of a man with all too human weaknesses. [...]

• Toby Zinman, Philadelphia Inquirer.

  [...] The remarkable Jennifer Ehle reappears in her third role in the trilogy, the frowning German governess, and Martha Plimpton reprises her Natasha of Shipwreck, revealing how her girlish charm has tarnished with time. [...]

• Eric Grode, NY Sun.

  [...] Jennifer Ehle and David Harbour, who provided emotional ballast for the first two plays as two very different sets of lovers, are still around but in lesser roles. Ms. Ehle, last seen as Herzen's doomed wife, has returned in the thankless role of Malwida von Meysenbug, a stern German nanny who inveigles her way into his domestic life. (The real-life Malwida was far more interesting, the sort of galvanizing intellectual force who met Friedrich Nietszche through their mutual friend Richard Wagner.) Mr. Harbour, by contrast, is given the juicier but even smaller role of Bazarov, a proto-nihilist whose chance encounter with Turgenev spurs the writing of "Fathers and Sons." [...]

• Elysa Gardner, USA Today.

  [...] Jennifer Ehle, Martha Plimpton, Josh Hamilton and Richard Easton shine in other roles, though Ethan Hawke, as before, emotes a little too eagerly. [...]

• Roma Torre, NY1. Note the video content as well, in both dialup and broadband formats.

  [...] Ethan Hawke as the imprisoned anarchist Bakunin returns battered but energized. Josh Hamilton's ailing drunken Ogarev; Martha Plimpton as his unstable wife, and Jennifer Ehle who is now the upright governess, deserve special mention. [...]

• Eric Alterman, The Nation. A piece on the significance of the trilogy.
• At Westport Public Library this Sunday 2pm, there's a free talk entitled “Who’s Afraid of Tom Stoppard? Navigating The Coast of Utopia” delivered by Mark Schenker, associate dean at Yale College.
• On the blogs and forums: Lady Crumpet liked Shipwreck, positive notice for "Rosemary Ehle" in Salvage at the Follies of Greg, and there's general praise of the trilogy at Future Librarian. Cajun Boy dittoes Charles Isherwood, critic David Cote of Histriomastix is mixed on the trilogy, All That Chat's rwb is less impressed by Salvage than Shipwreck. BroadwayWorld discussion continues.
  
• The first marathon performance is this weekend. We wish bon courage to both the cast and audience! If you're going, we would welcome a report - write to jenniferehle@gmail.com, as per.
• Mention of Road to the Sky in an interview with Nandita Das.

Utopia booze and books

• Update on the LCT blog that mentions the spiffy Coast of Utopia calendar featuring photos of the leading ladies and signed by them. It's in support of Broadway Cares and copies can be bought online or in the lobby from March, for $50 a pop.
  
• The NY Times and Guardian report that Utopia has increased demand for Isaiah Berlin's Russian Thinkers book. It has sold out at bookshops online and off, prompting a reprint. This news is being widely reported in the blogosphere as well.
  
• Coast of Utopia distilled - another NY Times article about the guy who designs cocktails for plays, including a recipe for the Voyage one.
• And yet another Times article, on how Utopian blokes spend their days off - in helicopters apparently.
  
• Reminder in the Post-Gazette about their Utopia tour.
• Word from the LCT is that there will be a Platform Series Q&A discussion with Tom Stoppard on February 14th. Details aren't up on the site yet.
• Quotage from the man at the recent Drama Desk "Conversation with Tom Stoppard" event. On swotting:

  [...] “You don’t need to read tons of research to enjoy the plays,” he explained. “It’s all there onstage and quite accessible.” [...]
  

• Review of Shipwreck at Stories of a Future Librarian and another at The Beef:

  [...] Again, the stagecraft wows. Who wouldn’t be delighted to watch the Place de la Concorde materialize in a moment? Yet the acting is even more impressive, as some players slip seamlessly into new roles while others gradually expand the characters we met last time. Alexander Herzen comes to the fore, allowing Brian F. O’Byrne to prove himself as the star of the show. As Herzen’s wife, Jennifer Ehle shines in a role with much more nuance than her tragically lovestruck Luibov of Part One. [...]

• Discussion on Tony categories for Utopia at Full Force Theater Musings.

"A very fine movie"

Is the verdict of the Leicester Mercury on Alpha Male.

Dan Wilde's tale of love and loss, set in a very nice house indeed.

The melancholy Alpha Male is a beautifully understated directorial debut from Daniel Wilde, who also wrote the subdued but succinct screenplay.

It's a poignant story about family life. Rich family life, that is: The characters who people Wilde's elegant movie have a house that makes your place look like a shed. And yet the underlying themes will have a resonance for anyone who's seen death or divorce reshape their family.

The film flits forward and backward in time like a restless butterfly.

Danny Huston plays Jim, the alpha male of the title. He's warm, charismatic, ambitious and successful, and soon dead, leaving a gaping hole in the lives of his wife Alice (Jennifer Ehle) and his children, Jack and Elyssa.

Jack (played by Arthur Duncan as a kid, and Mark Wells as a grown-up) becomes the man of the house, and takes his new role seriously. The sensitive Elyssa (Katie Ann Knight then Amelia Warner), meanwhile, becomes increasingly withdrawn, save for eruptions of anger at her aunt Brede (Trudie Styler), who she once saw make a play for her dad.

The cast is very strong, but Huston isn't in it long enough. Alpha Male is a very fine movie.

Oops, we haven't been keeping an eye on Press 53. Looks like the On the Same Page event honouring John Ehle was quite a success. Some photos up at Sheryl Monk's page. Mr Ehle also attended the 25th Appalachian Literary Festival at Emory & Henry College, according to the Times Dispatch, as well as the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival, says the Asheville Citizen-Times. There's a report at Press 53 too.