SPEED-the-PLOW Reviews- Page 3

[April Saul]

Posted: 10/24/08 at 11:39am

Am I crazy? I saw it a couple of weeks ago and thought it was pretty good, but it didn't blow me away...I thought it was B+ or A- and on about the same par as All My Sons, which the critics hated!

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/24/08 at 6:15pm

I saw it on the 15th, and it already seemed to be playing quite differently from the reported early previews. I can only assume that it just keeps getting better, and they hit everything particularly well under the opening night adrenaline. I loved it, but I think I may have been lucky to see one of the performances when things started to click. It sounds like they have softened Bobby a little, toned down the antics in the first act, injected a little more warmth in the second act, and let Raul off his chain in the third act! Just my educated guesses here.

[chrysler99]

Posted: 10/24/08 at 6:41pm

I saw it on the 14th and I thought that it was getting there pretty well. my big objection was the timing between Bobby and Charlie in the 1st act and that was just a question of, um, time, before they got that done. and clearly another week was what they needed. good for cast and crew, well deserved!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/24/08 at 9:05pm

Entertainment Weekly is mixed to positive...

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20235336,00.html

"...Would that the rest of this revival were as sharp as Mamet's prescient pen. The three actors are ideally suited for their respective roles: Entourage star Jeremy Piven as brash Hollywood honcho Bobby Gould, stage dynamo Raúl Esparza (Company, The Homecoming) as his bootlicking underling Charlie Fox, Mad Men breakout Elisabeth Moss as ambiguously naive secretary Karen. Yet even perfect-on-paper casting can go awry. Piven is essentially doing his Entourage character, and we can't exactly fault him for that.

...

But if you've seen Piven's multi-Emmy-winning turn on Entourage, you've seen his whole bag of tricks — and he doesn't have anything new up his sleeve. Moss is more of a mystery, even for avid Mad Men viewers. She's not straying too far from her TV alter ego either. And though she shows a natural affinity for Mamet's intricate speech patterns, she loses herself — and us — for the entire second scene (there are only three total).

... "


Is it just me or does she not talk about Esparza at all...?

Updated On: 10/24/08 at 09:05 PM

[sweetestsiren]

Posted: 10/24/08 at 9:22pm

She doesn't really elaborate on his performance, but she does say:

('Yeah. It's a Summer picture,' cracks Esparza, who, while the TV stars aren't looking, walks away with the entire show.)

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 10/26/08 at 12:28am

NY1 is pretty positive...

"...While all three actors are certainly skilled, none seem entirely at home in Mamet country. The two men's parts are showy and both performers are game. Piven, famous for playing a similar type on TV as Hollywood agent Ari Gold in "Entourage," tackles the role with gusto but has yet to fully master the stage. Once Raul Esparza gets revved up it's thrilling to see this marvelous actor on a tear but until then he seems to lack Fox's crudeness.

Elisabeth Moss of AMC's "Mad Men" has the toughest role as the enigmatic Karen. Underwritten, it's hard for any actress to sell this part, but she's got the stage chops, unlike her Broadway predecessor...."

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 10/26/08 at 9:05am

I was at yesterday's matinee. Raul gives a high-charged performance (as always) and his outburst in the final scene had the audience cheering. The others were fine, but Raul really raised the roof. It's different than Ron Silver's was, but, IMO, equally effective.

I was reflecting afterwards that we're being treated to some once-in-a-life time acting right now. At any given moment you can see Raul, Lithgow in All My Sons and Patti LuPone in Gypsy. Nice pickings, those.