MEF's Review of "The Pillowman" WITH POSSIBLE SPOILERS
MEF's Review of "The Pillowman" WITH POSSIBLE SPOILERS
#0MEF's Review of "The Pillowman" WITH POSSIBLE SPOILERS
Posted: 3/31/05 at 1:34pm
Oh, my dear Lord. I have no words. To say that I was blown away would be an understatement. Simply put, "The Pillowman" is the best original play to hit the Broadway stage in a good five years.
"The Pillowman" opens in an interrogation room, in an unnamed totalitarian country. Katurian (Billy Crudup), a writer of short stories, sits blindfolded, waiting to be interrogated. He can hear the muffled screams of his mentally retarded brother, Michal (Michael Stuhlbarg) from the room next door. He doesn't know why he is there.
He is then joined by Detectives Tupolski and Ariel (Jeff Goldblum and Zeljko Ivanek, respectively), who inform him that they are disturbed that the content of his short stories closely resembles the murders of several children in his town. Such things are described as razor blade-filled apples, the severing of toes, and a crucifixion. Katurian is horrrified.
All of this is dealt with a tinge of black humor, courtesy of the brilliant playwright Martin McDonagh.
The lights fade mid-way, and Katurian turns to the audience to recite a haunting soliloquoy, the recitation of his story "The Tale of The Writer and The Writer's Brother". The chilling story is acted behind him, on a dais above the stage.
POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT
After a while, and some electric shock therapy, Katurian is allowed to see the frightened Michal. To comfort his brother, Katurian tells him "The Tale of The Pillowman". The Pillowman is, as his named would suggest, made entirely of pillows. He goes to adults who have lived horrible lives and are about to commit suicide and comforts them by holding them close to his soft body. This takes them back to their youth, to when they were still happy. He convinces these children to kills themselves now, before their lives turn to endless misery, and to disguise their suicide as a tragic accident.
This is about all I can tell you of the plot without giving anything crucial away.
The performances are among the best on the New York stage. I am convinced that Mr. Crudup will win the Tony for his heart-wrenching, breathtaking performance. Mr. Goldblum is equally fantastic as the reserved but tough-as-nails "good cop," as he describes himself. Mr. Ivanek and Mr. Stuhlbarg were also excellent, and will both likely be nominated for Tonys. I would like to see Mr. Ivanek win. The rest of the ensemble is rounded out by Ted Koch, Virginia Louise Smith, Jesse Shane Bronstein, and Madeleine Martin, all in non-speaking roles.
This is certainly not everybody's cup of tea. About twenty people-mostly older people-left in a huff at intermission. Be prepared for an intense, no-holes-barred evening of theatre when you buy your tickets.
This is the finest production I have seen in a good year, and, as I mentioned before, the best new play in a good five years, probably since "Proof". I urge everybody to get to the Booth Theatre right now and see it.
Updated On: 3/31/05 at 01:34 PM
#1re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 3/31/05 at 1:37pmWow. Thanks.
Matt_G
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/1/04
#2re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 3/31/05 at 1:37pmI'm SO glad you liked it, MEF. At one point the other night we even saw people leaving DURING the show. But I think this is better than PROOF and better than anything I've seen probably since THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LENANE.
"Noah, someday we'll talk again. But there's things we'll never say. That sorrow deep inside you. It inside me, too. And it never go away. You be okay. You'll learn how to lose things..."
#3re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 3/31/05 at 1:39pm
I was speechless afterwards.
And yes, some old couple left two minutes into the second act, during the "Little Jesus" soliloquoy.
Matt_G
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/1/04
#4re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 3/31/05 at 1:41pm
I was very nervous during intermission because I knew that scene would be coming up. I wasn't sure if I would be able to watch that or not.
But the people we saw leaving all left after a certain "Jump out of your Seat, Scare the sh*t out you" moment.
"Noah, someday we'll talk again. But there's things we'll never say. That sorrow deep inside you. It inside me, too. And it never go away. You be okay. You'll learn how to lose things..."
#5re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 3/31/05 at 1:42pm
I want to see this, but I'm afraid of everything. 
Matt_G
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/1/04
#6re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 3/31/05 at 1:43pmEmcee, I'll go with you. I can't wait to see it again.
"Noah, someday we'll talk again. But there's things we'll never say. That sorrow deep inside you. It inside me, too. And it never go away. You be okay. You'll learn how to lose things..."
#7re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 3/31/05 at 1:44pm
Matt, I think I know what part you are talking about.
Emcee, there is nothing to be afraid of. Save for one or two instances, it's mostly the dialogue that is scary. Billy Crudup's incredible performance is worth the price of admission.
joniray
Broadway Star Joined: 3/27/04
#8re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 3/31/05 at 2:20pm
MEF, I'm sad that you felt the need to give away most of the first act and some of the second. I think The Pillowman is best enjoyed by people who go in knowing as little about it as possible. I'm afraid your review may spoil a lot of it for a lot of people. Please consider editing it.
I hope you don't mind my suggestion. I just, like yourself, would like people to be able to have the same experience watching it as we did, and that would include discovering the play and it's individual stories as they are told instead of already knowing them beforehand.
#9re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 3/31/05 at 2:27pmI have edited my original review and the thread title to reflect possible spoilers.
joniray
Broadway Star Joined: 3/27/04
#10re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 3/31/05 at 2:36pm
Thanks, MEF, that title should do the trick 
You might want to consider moving the "Possible Spoiler Alert" in the message to just before you give specifics of the murders in the various stories. I would consider those spoilers and am glad I didn't know them in advance (they would have made less impact on me when watching the show).
#11re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 3/31/05 at 2:44pmI want to go... I need someone to come with me and cuddle me.
#12re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 3/31/05 at 2:53pmI didn't feel the need to include a "spoiler alert" prior to the descriptions because that information has been on the boards for a while now, before the show even started previews.
apdarcey
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/10/04
#13re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 3/31/05 at 3:31pmi'm glad this transfered here better than democracy did. now here's praying for festen.
#14re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 4/9/05 at 1:28am
Dear God.
Saw it tonight.
You were right, mef. There are no words.
F-ing INCREDIBLE.
GO SEE IT NOW!
[title of show] on Broadway. it's time. believe.
#15re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 4/9/05 at 1:48pm
BUMP.
It opens tomorrow night, and I can't wait to see what the reviews are like. There really are no words.
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#16re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 4/9/05 at 1:53pmOoh, press night is tomorrow? I will be VERY interested in seeing the reviews.
Nothing precious, plain to see, don't make a fuss over me. Not loud, not soft, but somewhere inbetween. Say sorry, just let it be the word you mean.
Johnnytoc
Broadway Star Joined: 12/19/04
#17re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 4/9/05 at 1:55pmWow. Mef, I might have to go see it now. Your review really sounds good.
#18re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 4/9/05 at 1:56pmSee it immediately. It's soooooo brilliant.
#19re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 4/9/05 at 2:13pmSo wait...is it scary?
"Do you know what pledge time is, Andrew"? said the PBS Executive.
"Yes", Lloyd Webber replied. "My 50th birthday special must be one program that gets done a lot."
"No", mused the man from PBS heedlessy. "Not so much. Our Stephen Sondheim Carnegie Hall concert. That's a big one."
Spoons, forks and knives seemed suddenly to suspend their motion in horror, all around the table.
#20re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 4/9/05 at 2:19pmMost of the scary moments are dialogue-related. I really don't want to give any more away.
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#21re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 4/9/05 at 2:20pmIn a make you jump kind of a way? Yes. In a haunt you long after the curtain has fallen kind of a way? Yes. In a give you your fist nightmare in as long as you can remember kind of a way? Yes.
Nothing precious, plain to see, don't make a fuss over me. Not loud, not soft, but somewhere inbetween. Say sorry, just let it be the word you mean.
#22re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 4/9/05 at 2:22pm
Argh. I'm really torn. I want to see this, but I'm literally afraid of everything. I mean, insects give me nightmares and I can't watch scary movies.
#23re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 4/9/05 at 2:29pmIt didn't leave me with any nightmares.
popcultureboy
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/23/03
#24re: MEF's Review of 'The Pillowman'
Posted: 4/9/05 at 2:34pmI don't remember the dream itself, I just know that the night I saw Pillowman I woke up at 3am and was very very uneasy and took a long time to go back to sleep. That hasn't happened to me since I watched the original Texas Chain Saw movie.
Nothing precious, plain to see, don't make a fuss over me. Not loud, not soft, but somewhere inbetween. Say sorry, just let it be the word you mean.
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