#1
Posted: 3/30/06 at 12:50am
Hello ladies and gentlemen, QMAN here reporting from my third day in the big city. And this time I'm reviewing the "broadway event of the season!!!" Even if you have been living under a rock for the past month you'd still know Julia Roberts was in a show on Broadway. But the question is, "Is it good?" And I'm here to tell you the answer to that question can be summed up in two words that appeared in another bad show on Broadway this season: HELL NO!
The real problem with this play is the actual play itself. It just has no rhyme or reason. The first act is a mess where I had no clue why the character's were doing the things they were doing. But when Bradley Cooper came on, he saved the first act from being a complete and utter mess. But then the last line of the first act just made no sense at all and the question as to why she says it is never answered. But the thing about the first act was that it leaves the audience with a sour feeling in their mouth but most of the people who I talked to said that it had some possibility to be good. Which I agreed with. But the decision to have the second act back in time was a very foolish decision. They had built up these three characters then they threw them away. I mean sure, some things were made clear by the second act, but because the second act had very little to do with act one, it didn't feel like a show. Now, if greenberg had put in a third act and played upon what was revealed in act two, then maybe he would have redeemed himself. But alas, he did not and I was left with a sour taste in my mouth.
Now onto the acting. Paul Rudd and Bradley Cooper were both great...when they weren't working off of Miss Roberts. But when they were, the scenes felt forced. For instance, when Julia would cut off Paul, it felt like Paul was trained to stop at a certain word and she was trained to cut him off. It didn't feel natural. And this all has to do with Miss Roberts lackluster performance. In the first act, she was stiff and unlikable. And I imagine for this act to work you need her character to ground both of the other characters because she was between their two extremes. Instead, I felt no connection between any of them. They were just there. And on top of that, I could barely hear her. I'd prefer a screaming actress (Amanda Peet) than one who I can't hear. And in act two she was somewhat better because it was more natural for her, but she still wasn't great by any means.
I know this wasn't a good review because I'm tired, but I hope it gives you a good sense of what I thought. So bottom line: this HUGE event is just that; an event. NOT a play, an event. If Julia was not in this, nobody would care and it would close within weeks. It's just not that good.
The real problem with this play is the actual play itself. It just has no rhyme or reason. The first act is a mess where I had no clue why the character's were doing the things they were doing. But when Bradley Cooper came on, he saved the first act from being a complete and utter mess. But then the last line of the first act just made no sense at all and the question as to why she says it is never answered. But the thing about the first act was that it leaves the audience with a sour feeling in their mouth but most of the people who I talked to said that it had some possibility to be good. Which I agreed with. But the decision to have the second act back in time was a very foolish decision. They had built up these three characters then they threw them away. I mean sure, some things were made clear by the second act, but because the second act had very little to do with act one, it didn't feel like a show. Now, if greenberg had put in a third act and played upon what was revealed in act two, then maybe he would have redeemed himself. But alas, he did not and I was left with a sour taste in my mouth.
Now onto the acting. Paul Rudd and Bradley Cooper were both great...when they weren't working off of Miss Roberts. But when they were, the scenes felt forced. For instance, when Julia would cut off Paul, it felt like Paul was trained to stop at a certain word and she was trained to cut him off. It didn't feel natural. And this all has to do with Miss Roberts lackluster performance. In the first act, she was stiff and unlikable. And I imagine for this act to work you need her character to ground both of the other characters because she was between their two extremes. Instead, I felt no connection between any of them. They were just there. And on top of that, I could barely hear her. I'd prefer a screaming actress (Amanda Peet) than one who I can't hear. And in act two she was somewhat better because it was more natural for her, but she still wasn't great by any means.
I know this wasn't a good review because I'm tired, but I hope it gives you a good sense of what I thought. So bottom line: this HUGE event is just that; an event. NOT a play, an event. If Julia was not in this, nobody would care and it would close within weeks. It's just not that good.
.jpg?format=auto&width=365)
