#1
Posted: 3/25/09 at 4:53pm
In short, I loved the performances, didn't love the writing.
Maybe the problem lies in Hampton's translation or Reza's original text (I'm going to be honest, I don't know which) but I felt like it was a little slight. It introduces a lot of big ideas but never really covers them fully. The premise is great and the characters are clearly defined and developed but the issues that the play brings up are numerous and none of them are really completely fleshed out. The best way to say it is that there really isn't a plot.
These two couples get together to talk about their sons' argument in a park and it all goes downhill from there. Like I said, a great premise, but it's not completely realized (I wouldn't have minded if this was a two and a half hour long show or even two hours with no intermission in order to flesh out the issues introduced a bit more). Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad text but it's just not great. The humor in it couldn't be more razor-sharp.
That said, the performances are fantastic. Jeff Daniels does a great job playing an asshole and Hope Davis has a huge challenge of making her character's arc believable in just an hour and a half and handles it with gusto. James Gandolfini started off as my favorite performer (restrained, but clearly with some underlying issues bursting at the seams) but I felt like he was a little awkward when his character needed to let loose. It was like he was catching his breath when he didn't have to speak and when he did, he screamed his lines. This is a performance I'd love to see again later in the show's run to see how he improves; he's still very good in the role. His chemistry with Marcia Gay Harden is fantastic.
I had the opposite problem with Harden than I did with Gandolfini. She started off a bit too stoic and robotic (maybe it was her character too) but when she ripped into the material, she didn't leave a piece of the scenery un-chewed (almost literally). She is hysterical and her final monologue on the phone was really both funny and touching at the same time.
The star of the show, for me, was Matthew Warchus' direction. Flawless, flawless, flawless. I disliked BOEING-BOEING last season and wasn't a huge fan of his work on it but here, he hits the bull's eye. He manages to bring just the right mix of the organic and the absurd. The most blatantly Tony-worthy direction since AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.
I loved the set design and the way that the bright red slowly morphed into a deep purple; brilliant.
Overall, I liked it. It's bitingly funny and it features four very strong performances. If the material were a bit more fully-developed, this would be a must-see. But, I still say go see it for sure. If for no other reason than to see four great actors duke it out for an hour and a half.
*** out of ****
Maybe the problem lies in Hampton's translation or Reza's original text (I'm going to be honest, I don't know which) but I felt like it was a little slight. It introduces a lot of big ideas but never really covers them fully. The premise is great and the characters are clearly defined and developed but the issues that the play brings up are numerous and none of them are really completely fleshed out. The best way to say it is that there really isn't a plot.
These two couples get together to talk about their sons' argument in a park and it all goes downhill from there. Like I said, a great premise, but it's not completely realized (I wouldn't have minded if this was a two and a half hour long show or even two hours with no intermission in order to flesh out the issues introduced a bit more). Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad text but it's just not great. The humor in it couldn't be more razor-sharp.
That said, the performances are fantastic. Jeff Daniels does a great job playing an asshole and Hope Davis has a huge challenge of making her character's arc believable in just an hour and a half and handles it with gusto. James Gandolfini started off as my favorite performer (restrained, but clearly with some underlying issues bursting at the seams) but I felt like he was a little awkward when his character needed to let loose. It was like he was catching his breath when he didn't have to speak and when he did, he screamed his lines. This is a performance I'd love to see again later in the show's run to see how he improves; he's still very good in the role. His chemistry with Marcia Gay Harden is fantastic.
I had the opposite problem with Harden than I did with Gandolfini. She started off a bit too stoic and robotic (maybe it was her character too) but when she ripped into the material, she didn't leave a piece of the scenery un-chewed (almost literally). She is hysterical and her final monologue on the phone was really both funny and touching at the same time.
The star of the show, for me, was Matthew Warchus' direction. Flawless, flawless, flawless. I disliked BOEING-BOEING last season and wasn't a huge fan of his work on it but here, he hits the bull's eye. He manages to bring just the right mix of the organic and the absurd. The most blatantly Tony-worthy direction since AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.
I loved the set design and the way that the bright red slowly morphed into a deep purple; brilliant.
Overall, I liked it. It's bitingly funny and it features four very strong performances. If the material were a bit more fully-developed, this would be a must-see. But, I still say go see it for sure. If for no other reason than to see four great actors duke it out for an hour and a half.
*** out of ****
Updated On: 3/25/09 at 04:53 PM
