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Jeffrey Sanzel

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Jim Broadbent and Neal Barry in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

In 1961, London’s National Gallery acquired Francisco de Goya’s early nineteenth century The Portrait of the Duke of Wellington. Valued at £140,000, the work was stolen on August 21, just nineteen days later. Falling into the “this is too far-fetched to be true,” the culprit was revealed as sixty-one-year-old Kempton Bunton, a taxi driver from Newcastle Upon Tyne (located in the northeast of England). Brought to life in The Duke, the film marks the final work of director Roger Michell (Notting Hill), who passed away in September 2021.

According to Bunton’s grandson, Chris, the screenplay takes very few liberties with the actual story and reflects his grandfather’s character—though the real Kempton was not as warm as his screen counterpart. Jim Broadbent fully inhabits Kempton Bunton, whose campaign against pensioners having to pay for a television license leads him to theft.

Two approaches could have been taken to tell this fascinating story. The first would have been a dark and serious exploration of the common man railing against the system (think auteur Mike Lee’s grittiness crossed with screenwriter Jack Rosenthal’s realism).

Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Or in contrast, the creators could have selected a more whimsical approach in the vein of the Ealing Studio comedies (those that featured character men such as Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers). Writers Richard Bean and Clive Coleman have opted for the latter, with the result being an engaging mix of old-fashioned caper with a sensitive and touching underpinning.

The film opens with Kempton on trial, then flashes back to his earlier tribulations, including a short stint in jail for using a T.V. without the necessary license. An eccentric of the first order, he writes and submits plays that are never produced. In addition, he chatters so much to his cab clients that he loses his job and eventually loses a later position in a bakery for calling out the boss for abusing a Pakistani worker. 

His wife, Dorothy (flawlessly played by Helen Mirren), cleans house and babysits for a local councilor and his wife (Anna Maxwell Martin, finding depth and nobility in a small role). Dorothy finds her husband’s never-ending antics and quixotic crusades overwhelming and perpetually frustrating. A shadow separates the couple: the death of their eighteen-year-old daughter in a bicycle accident a dozen years earlier. Kempton battles for the greater good of humanity but is often oblivious to his wife’s pain.

Jim Broadbent in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

Their adult children include a supportive, good son, Jackie (a likable Fionn Whitehead), who dreams of being a shipbuilder, and the prodigal, Kenny (a surprisingly likable quasi-hoodlum played by Jack Bandeira). Kenny, along with his recently separated girlfriend, Pammy (Charlotte Spencer, wonderfully amoral and ambivalent), is hiding out with his parents. Pammy’s discovery of the painting stashed behind a false backing in a wardrobe drives the latter part of the story.

The film is brisk and often funny, with shades of Blake Edwards at his best and most focused. Split screens, Mike Eley’s spot-on cinematography, and a jazzy score by George Fenton complete the 1960s feel. 

Broadbent is in his element, whether trying to get petition signatures, struggling with his writing, going against a racist, or being delightfully honest when questioned in the dock. He easily nuances the performance without losing the broader comic strokes. His scenes with the always brilliant Mirren reveal a troubled but enduring marriage of two unlike but equal souls. 

Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey’s Henry Talbot, Lady Mary’s second husband) charms as Kempton’s barrister, Jeremy Hutchinson, in turn bemused and delighted by his client.

While courtroom scenes can be predictable, Broadbent’s quirky, raw honesty creates a riveting and satisfying climax. Through the wit and clever banter, the message of “I am you, and you are me” resonates. The trial’s outcome, the family struggle, and a surprising revelation make a satisfying resolution to The Duke, an entertaining and touching film. 

Rated R, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate Films

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

The informal definition of “meta” (according to Merriam-Webster.com) is “showing or suggesting an explicit awareness of itself or oneself as a member of its category: cleverly self-referential.” No term better describes Nicolas Cage’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. And while it is directed by Tom Gormican, from a screenplay by Gormican and Kevin Etten, Cage is the sole reason. 

Nicolas Cage plays Nicolas Cage—or, at least, a version of Cage. Here, he is a larger-than-life star with a larger-than-life ego. It is hard to say whether this reflects or distorts the actual Cage. However, Cage, one of the busiest and most enigmatic actors, offers a delightful “meta” performance.

Nicolas Cage in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate Films

The Cage on display in The Unbearable Weight is an ego-centric star just on the cusp of decline. Frantically pursuing a role, he auditions in front of a restaurant as the director attempts to get into his car. There is more than a whiff of desperation as Cage does everything but beg for the part in the upcoming film.

Driven by fiscal problems (he is in arrears to the tune of $600,000 for the apartment he rents), he agrees to attend the birthday party of billionaire playboy Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal), being held on Javi’s compound in Mallorca, Spain. 

While there, CIA agents Vivian (Tiffany Haddish) and Martin (Ike Barinholtz) approach Cage. They inform him that Javi is an arms dealer who has kidnapped a politician’s daughter to drive him out of an upcoming election. The agents enlist the reluctant Cage to aid with the recovery mission.

The plot veers to Hollywood blockbuster. While initially elements nod towards something heightened and outrageous, in the end it is a buddy comedy between Cage and Pascal. There is an attempt to satirize (at least spoof) the genre, but mostly it lands in safe territory. There are funny moments (the wall scene spoiled by every trailer; a viewing of Paddington 2), but many situations seem forced (an acid-tripping scene; the sedative bit).

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is at its best when delving into Cage’s psyche and simultaneously mammoth and fragile ego. Several times he is confronted by his younger self. Regrettably, there are only three of these moments, and we are left wondering if there were not more that ended up cut because they were (once again) too “meta.” 

Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Lionsgate Films

Cage’s ability to put himself in the crosshairs of his own pretension make for the strongest fodder. He often speaks of his acting process—“nouveau shamanic”—and his desire to make a “character-driven adult film.” He struggles with the difference between actor and movie star, perpetually obsessing over his choices. He is not so much oblivious to his daughter, Addy (Lily Sheen), as his energy is misplaced, mistaking his own likes for sharing. His fractious but not unloving relationship with his estranged wife, Olivia (Sharon Horgan), highlights his inability to look beyond his career. He is where doubt and narcissism implode.

Both Sheen and Horgan give fine, understated performances, but they are minor characters on this broader stage. Neil Patrick Harris appears briefly as Cage’s agent, a character that barely has one dimension. The same is true of Alessandra Mastronardi as Gabriela, Javi’s faithful assistant. Paco León, as Javi’s cousin Lucas, is a by-the-numbers hoodlum. Haddish and Barinholtz hit the right notes but have very little to play.

Pascal makes the perfect fanboy who possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of the minutiae of Cage’s career, complete with a trophy room (also spoiled by the trailers). While Javi is eager for Cage to star in the screenplay he has written, the burgeoning bromance drives the character. The plot creaks in fits and starts, and an unfortunate plot twist softens the entire nature of the relationship. But Pascal and Cage have real chemistry and make the more conventional stretches watchable.

The film is an uneasy mix of comedy, abduction thriller, and meta-exploration. If the creators had leaned more into the last (think Being John Malkovich), the result would have been both engaging and surprising. But, in the end, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent delivers an entertaining parody that does not quite live it up to its greater potential. One suspects that they had a bigger concept and lost their way. Or perhaps, they got spooked thinking that just like the discussion of film within the film, something more esoteric would not play to a general audience. Or, even a greater heresy, sell. 

Rated R, the film is now playing in local theaters.

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Alexander Skarsgard and Anya Taylor-Joy star in a scene from the movie "The Northman." Photo courtesy of Focus Features

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Writer-director Robert Eggers made his feature debut with the slow-burn horror film The Witch (starring Anya Taylor-Joy). He followed this up with the slow-burn horror fantasy The Lighthouse. While audiences had mixed reactions, he received critical acclaim for both. His newest work, The Northman, is his most accessible and certainly most commercial. 

The story begins in 985 AD. Young Prince Amleth’s (Oscar Novak) father, King Aurvandill War-Raven (Ethan Hawke), returns from battle and is murdered by his half-brother, the bastard Fjölnir (Claes Bang). Fjölnir takes the throne and abducts Aurvandill’s queen, Gudrún (Nicole Kidman). 

If the plot sounds vaguely familiar, there is no surprise as it draws from the same source as Hamlet. Shakespeare derived his play from the legend of Amleth, preserved by the 13th-century chronicler Saxo Grammaticus in Gesta Danorum and retold in the 16th century by François de Belleforest.

And while the two works share DNA, tonally and stylistically, they are opposing forces. The Northman is a film of great violence and fewer words. Eggers relies on strong and effective visuals rather than dialogue to tell his story. The screenplay (written in collaboration with the Icelandic poet, novelist, and lyricist Sjón) presents a universe of blood and blood oaths, visions and vengeance. Amleth repeats, “I will avenge you, Father. I will save you, Mother. I will kill you, Fjölnir.” This litany becomes the watch cry of the adult Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), whose sole purpose is to right this wrong. 

After witnessing his father’s murder,  Amleth flees. Vikings find the boy and raise him as a berserker. Years later, following a brutal Viking attack in the land of Rus, a seeress (Björk) tells the now grown Amleth he will soon have his revenge. Amleth learns that soon after the betrayal, Fjölnir was ousted. Amleth has himself branded a slave and sent to his uncle’s pastoral exile. 

While being transported, he connects with Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), a Slavic sorceress also captured in Rus. They form an alliance that becomes a bond. Eventually, she tells him, “You have the strength to break their bones; I have the cunning to break their minds.” On the Icelandic farm, Amleth discovers that his mother became Fjölnir’s wife and bore him a son, Gunnar (Elliot Rose).

The Northman is steeped in death—by arrow, axe, spear, knife, and sword. The savagery extends to slaughter, rape, and slavery. Eggers never shies from the perpetual devastation, embracing the primal existence. His hero is not the indecisive Hamlet but a warrior with a monomaniacal purpose.

Cinematically, the film is compelling and moves along, but always at the same brisk pace, both the film’s strength and weakness. The Northman never becomes “more than.” The characters never surprise because their actions alone define them, no less but no more. As they must live moment to moment, they are not individuals of nuance or subtlety, reflecting this unyielding world.

The cast uniformly delivers, but there are few complicated arcs because there is no subtext. The exception to this is Kidman’s queen, whose revelations shock Amleth. Kidman gives an unbridled and ferocious performance. 

Skarsgård manages to find different if limited shades, but Amleth’s almost unwavering focus does not provide a great number of opportunities. He states later in the story, “Hate is all I have ever known. I wish I could be free of it.” Taylor-Joy (best known for her outstanding performance in The Queen’s Gambit) mines the limited role for as much variety as possible. 

There are a few odd elements in an otherwise consistent realm. The accents seem to be rooted in some “once-upon-an-oldie-timey.” The CGI ravens that rescue Amleth seem out of step with Eggers’ hyper-reality. And in a world of dirt and mud, Olga manages to keep her nearly white dress and blonde tresses immaculate. While this could be symbolic, it is jarring.

Eggers’s attention to detail is the driving force that climaxes with a sword fight on the side of a volcano. Whether he is showing an attack, a close-up of a brooding Skarsgård calculating his next step, or drug-induced prophecies, Eggers offers a raw and brutal world in this predictable but powerful film. 

Rated R, The Northman is now playing in local theaters.

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A scene from 'Fantastic Beasts 3' Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

In 2011, the Harry Potter franchise concluded with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II. The eight films have grossed over $7.7 billion. So, for this reason alone, it was no surprise when a new series was announced.

In 2016, Potter creator J.K. Rowling penned the screenplay for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, launching a proposed five-movie arc. Directed by David Yates, the uninspired film was followed by the disastrous mess, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (reviewed in this paper in December 2018).

Now Yates has returned for his third film, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. This time, Rowling has collaborated with writer Steve Kloves. Perhaps it is the addition of the Academy Award-nominated Kloves, but the newest chapter is a vast improvement over its predecessors.

The film opens in 1932, with Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) present for the birth of a Qilin, a magical creature that sees into the soul. Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Madds Mikkelsen, replacing Johnny Depp) has dispatched his acolytes to capture the animal he then murders and reanimates. But, unbeknownst to Grindelwald, the mother had given birth to twins, the second of which Scamander hides in his enchanted suitcase.

The thrust of the action centers on Grindelwald’s campaign for world domination by running for Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards. Future Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) has rallied the forces of good to thwart the evil wizard. These include Newt’s brother and Head of the Auror Office, Theseus (Callum Turner); charms professor Eulalie “Lally” Hicks (Jessica Williams); French wizard Yusuf Kama (William Nadylam), who goes undercover; and No-Maj (the American equivalent of Muggle) Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), WWI veteran, baker, and Newt’s friend.

The film begins as a muddle with characters paraded through and multiple threads touched upon but not clarified. Eventually, the plot focuses first on Grindelwald’s acquittal of criminal charges and then on his full-on crusade. His followers are a rabid mob and always on the brink of violence. His rhetoric is the elevation of purebloods and absolute rule over the non-magical (later taken up by Lord Voldemort).

It is no coincidence that much of the film takes place in 1930s Germany. It is not difficult to draw the parallels between Grindelwald and Hitler, his followers and the citizens of that country, and his closest servants, trenchcoated agents suggesting Gestapo. The images are chilling and effective, making the magical world less fantasy, and the heroes need to triumph all the stronger. (There are also more than thinly veiled nods towards recent politics.)

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore offers glimpses of the better known Potterverse. Several scenes take place at Hogwarts and the Hog’s Head, the tavern run by Albus’s brother, Aberforth (Richard Coyle). An important plotline involves the Dumbeldore family, connecting them to Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller). Even transfiguration teacher Minerva McGonagall (Fiona Glascott) makes a cameo. The filmmakers are smartly connecting the better-known canon with this burgeoning prequel universe.

Most of the characterizations are broad strokes as the narrative is story driven. However, overall, the performances are strong. Law easily creates a Dumbledore that is knowing and in control, suggesting the Dumbledore he will eventually become. But he also brings shadows of doubt, pain, and regret, enriching the man behind the magic. Mikkelsen makes the villain both cruel and charismatic. The creators did not pull punches on the romantic history between the two, allowing their relationship to inform all their scenes.

Fogler is once again a true delight as Kowalski, a human navigating the wizarding world. Williams’ Lally shows strength and grounding but also mines the role for humor. Turner’s Theseus represents the government agent who understands the big picture, somehow managing to be both stiff and self-aware. Miller brings the right amount of pain and danger to Credence. The weakest link is Redmayne, whose Newt remains a string of stutters and mutterings as if he was more concerned with being precious than present.

The highest praise goes to Stuart Craig and Neil Lamont for the extraordinary production design. Colleen Atwood’s costumes smartly lean towards a dark reality, eschewing the more fanciful dress seen in the Potter films. In addition, the visual and special effects (created by hundreds of artists and craftspeople) are first-rate, whether animating the magic or producing truly fantastic CGI beasts (ranging from the adorable to the horrifying).

The Secrets of Dumbledore breathes life into a series that had neither focus nor purpose before this entry. Hopefully, the production team will build on the film’s integrity and bring Fantastic Beasts to a powerful and welcomed resolution.

Rated PG-13, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore is now playing in local theaters.

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The cast, from left, back row, Briana Bronzetti, Liam Marsigliano, and Elizabeth Ladd; second row, Carly Paris, Barbara Walsh and Heather Rose Kuhn; and front row, Ryan Worrell and Steven Uihlein Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Adventures of Peter Rabbit' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Adventures of Peter Rabbit' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Adventures of Peter Rabbit' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Adventures of Peter Rabbit' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from Theatre Three's 'The Adventures of Peter Rabbit' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.

By Heidi Sutton

Looking for something fun to do with the kids during Spring Break? May I recommend the most adorablest show around, Theatre Three’s The Adventures of Peter Rabbit, a tale based on the characters and stories created by Beatrix Potter. As a child, Beatrix and her brother were homeschooled and kept sheltered from other children. She turned to her pets, especially her two rabbits — Benjamin Bouncer and Peter Piper — who served as inspiration for her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. 

Now the stories of Flopsy, Mopsy, CottonTail, Peter and Mrs. Rabbit come to life on Theatre Three’s stage in the form of a musical written by Jeffrey Sanzel and the late Brent Erlanson, with musical arrangements by Kevin F. Story. 

The story follows the antics of the mischievous Peter Rabbit and his cousin Benjamin Bunny who have an insatiable appetite for carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, parsley, cucumbers and string beans. Where can they find such a cornucopia? In their neighbor Mr. McGregor’s garden, of course! 

But taking without asking is not very nice and one too many trips to the garden patch gets Peter caught by the farmer. Will he end up as rabbit stew or will the McGregors and the Rabbits come to a compromise?

Directed by Sanzel, the incredible cast of eight adult actors present a high-energy, fast-paced show that keep children at the edge of their seats with audience participation as the cast walk or run up and down the aisles.

This year’s production has stepped it up several notches with so many special little details including adorable new costumes and wigs by Jason Allyn, colorful lighting along the walls of the theater and fresh choreography. The bunnies even sport new ears and a tail!

The show uses the set from the theater’s Mainstage production, Steel Magnolias, for the rabbit house and quickly transform it into the McGregor’s garden with a fence, bushes and trees. 

The most special part of the production is the musical numbers. From the catchy duet “One More Time Around” with Peter and Benjamin to the hip hop number “Peter’s Socks,” the songs are heart of the show. The final number incorporates all of the songs in a super mega-mix extravaganza.

This wonderful spring production is guaranteed to keep both kids and parents entertained. Don’t miss it.

Souvenir bunnies in spring colors will be sold before the show and during intermission for $5 (proceeds will help maintain the historic building) and the entire cast will be in the lobby for photos after the show.

Sponsored by Furnari Exit Realty, Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents The Adventures of Peter Rabbit on April 21, 22, 23, 30 and May 7 at 11 a.m. with a special sensory sensitive performance on April 24 at 11 a.m. Children’s theater continues with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs from May 28 to June 18, and Puss-In-Boots from July 8 to 30. All seats are $10. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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Photo courtesy of A24

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” The famous opening line of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina could also apply to the chaos and vexation that emanates from Everything Everywhere All at Once, the twisty science fiction black comedy from writer-directors Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known collectively as “Daniels”).

Photo courtesy of A24

The film opens with Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) struggling to get ready for an IRS audit while the family prepares for a Chinese New Year party. Her kind but mostly ineffectual husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan), does all he can to calm her, but his eagerness to please is more of a hindrance. Adding to the familial strife, Waymond has just served Evelyn with divorce papers, which barely registers with his overwhelmed spouse.

Evelyn’s father, Gong Gong (James Hong), for whom Evelyn has been a life-long disappointment, has arrived from China to live with them. Her conflicted daughter, Joy (Stephanie Hsu), tries to get the family to accept her girlfriend, Becky (Tallie Medel). Finally, they are confronted with Deirdre Beaubeirdra (Jamie Lee Curtis), the IRS inspector who embodies the worst elements of bureaucracy.

There is enough here to generate a domestic drama of complexity and interest. However, Everything Everywhere All at Once is an exploration of multi-universe theory. As Evelyn and Waymond ride the elevator to their IRS meeting, Waymond shifts to his Alpha/alternate self, explaining that the Alpha Evelyn is dead and only this version of Evelyn can save the multiverse. The entire structure of parallel existence is threatened by Jobu Tupaki, Alpha Waymond and Alpha Evelyn’s daughter. Jobu Tupaki experiences all universes simultaneously and can verse-jump and manipulate matter.

What fascinates is this Evelyn is the worst of all the Evelyns. Alpha Waymond tells her she has made every wrong choice and bad decision. But ironically, since she is the least gifted, she has the greatest capacity for change. Drawing on her many selves, she begins to own not just the powers of these different incarnations, but she becomes more connected to herself in “the present.”

The film presents a range of universes during the brisk (if slightly long) two hours and fifteen minutes. Evelyn’s many faces included a martial arts film star, an opera singer, a chef, and more. Some are glimpsed; others are revisited multiple times. From each, she gains not just skills but understanding.

Photo courtesy of A24

Along the way, the filmmakers present well-known sci-fi tropes, dramatic and emotional encounters, and a plethora of action sequences. But added to the mix are outrageous concepts, including a world where the inhabitants have hotdogs for fingers. The mispronunciation of Ratatouille results in a story focused on a cook and raccoon and the most nihilistic and heart-warming encounter between two rocks on a planet with no life. The extreme absurdity somehow plays winningly into the overall chaos.

Jobu Tupaki’s manifestation of oblivion is a black hole that she refers to as the Everything on a Bagel. The idea is that evil is when nothing matters.

The uniformly strong cast adeptly portrays various versions of themselves. And while they play the story straight, their comedic timing appropriately shines. Yeoh anchors the film in her pain and triumph, facing her foes and her inner demons, sliding from one manifestation to another.

Quan’s alternating between the self-actualized Alpha Waymond and the Thurber-esque husband is seamless. Hsu manages to embody the stressed, frustrated daughter and the manipulative destroyer and allows elements of both personalities to inform the other. Hong easily goes from the vaguely unaware grandfather to an almost militant leader. The always wonderful Curtis brings depth to the most extreme characters.
Everything Everywhere All at Once is an artistic triumph, due in no small part to Larkin Seiple’s peripatetic, vivid cinematography. Jason Kisvarday’s production design, along with Shirley Kurata’s costume design, create a range of unique worlds, from the pedestrian reality to the wildly inventive.

The smallest decision creates a new branch in time; a missed chance affects the course of both the individual and the entire world. Deftly harnessing the concept of infinite parallel universes, Everything Everywhere All at Once’s heart suggests every choice is an opportunity. But more than that, as Alpha Waymond states: “We are useless alone.” The final message of connection rises above all else. Don’t miss the chance to take this very meta, often bizarre, but finally uplifting journey.

Rated R, Everything Everywhere All at Once is now playing in local theaters.

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Clockwise from back row left, Ginger Dalton, Stephanie Moreau, Christine N. Boehm, Marci Bing, Linda May and Michelle LaBozzetta. Photo by Steven Uihlein/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.

By Tara Mae

“Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.”

This famous line from Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias embodies the ethos of the comedy-drama, which is Theatre Three’s next Mainstage production, opening on April 9.

Spanning three years in the lives of a group of Southern women, the play explores how the depth of their bonds sustain them through triumphs and tragedies. Harling wrote the play in 1985 as a way of processing his sister’s death and paying homage to the women from his childhood. It was later adapted into an award-winning film starring Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Dolly Parton, Olympia Dukakis and Daryl Hannah.

Unlike the film version, the play exists strictly in the world of women, featuring female characters with the male characters only referenced through dialogue. 

“Working with an all-female cast was absolutely wonderful, and we all talked about how we connected to material both as mothers and daughters. I love that in this show every single person is integral to the play, and it really celebrates the strengths of these women and the beauty of their souls and personalities,” said director Mary Powers. 

Starring Stephanie Moreau (Truvy), Christine N. Boehm (Annelle), Marci Bing (Clairee), Michelle LaBozzetta (Shelby), Linda May (M’Lynn), and Ginger Dalton (Ouiser), Steel Magnolias is a personal favorite of Artistic Director Jeffrey Sanzel, who first saw the play when it debuted off-Broadway in 1987.

“I believe it is an absolutely perfect play. Very few plays are as well constructed as Steel Magnolias. It is one of the top ten theater experiences of my life. I do not think there is one moment that is false or one moment that does not work. This is the second time we have done it…and we felt it was time to bring it back for our 50th season,” Sanzel said. 

Unfortunately, the 50th anniversary season (2019-2020), designed to showcase some of the of the theater’s most revered productions, was cut short due to the pandemic lockdown.  The cast was completing the rehearsal process and preparing to open the show when the world around it abruptly shut down, and  the show was postponed. After a two-year delay, rehearsals resumed in February of 2022.

“We were very committed to the project. We thoroughly enjoyed the rehearsal process the first time around and were all very invested in coming back, which everyone did,” Powers said. “We kept our schedules clear for that time. It was like riding a bike; one rehearsal and we were back to where we had been with the exact same casting, exact same roles. Nothing changed at all. We all had our scripts and got to work. We get along so well, and the cast and crew are a delight to work with.” 

Interpersonal, emotional connections onstage are reflected in the dynamic between the actresses, who also kept in touch with Powers and Sanzel during the hiatus. 

“One of the best feelings I’ve had thus far was at our read through this year. Finally being together again, hearing everyone’s voices, laughing and crying as we read was such a unique experience and I’ll cherish it forever,” said LaBozzetta. 

The dedication to the material, its message, and each other are highlights of the process, according to Bing, who played the role of M’Lynn in Theatre Three’s production in the 1990s. “We have a strong connection onstage as well as offstage. I love the whole group, which makes it easy to connect,” she said. 

For LaBozzetta, after the interrupted pre-production process, opening the show is a relief. “I am most looking forward to finally having an audience! We’ve been having so much fun in rehearsals and I just cannot wait to share what we’ve created.”

Theatre Three, 412 Main Street, Port Jefferson presents Steel Magnolias from April 7 to May 9. Tickets are $35 adults, $28 seniors and students, $20 for children ages 5 and up. For more information, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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Jared Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of SONY Pictures

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

There are good superhero pictures. There are memorable vampire films. Some movies fall under guilty pleasures — entertainment for the sake of fun. Then there is Morbius which manages to get almost everything wrong.

Morbius, the Living Vampire, first appeared in Marvel Comics’ The Amazing Spider-Man (issue #101; October 1971). Due to a failed experiment intended to cure a rare blood disease, the former biochemist, Michael Morbius, was imbued with vampire-like abilities. While he became one of Spider-Man’s antagonists, he was also an adversary of Blade, the vampire hunter. (Originally, Morbius was to appear in Blade (1998) but was cut.)

Morbius follows a similar origin story. A prologue in a private clinic in Greece shows genius ten-year-old Michael Morbius (Charlie Shotwell) joined by the younger Lucien (Joseph Esson), whom he dubs Milo. The boys share the same blood illness that requires constant infusions. They form a deep and lasting connection.

Twenty-five years later, Michael (Jared Leto) is now a successful scientist who has just declined the Nobel Prize. He has now received funding to develop a treatment using vampire bats, and he creates a lab on a private vessel in international waters. Unfortunately, the remedy causes him to have vampiric characteristics, and he murders the entire crew. 

He escapes the vessel and returns to New York. Endowed with new powers (strength, speed, reflexes, and super-hearing), he struggles with a bloodlust he staves off with the serum. However, the efficacy and duration become shorter. The now wealthy Milo (Matt Smith) discovers that Michael has found a cure but becomes furious when Michael refuses to share it. Incensed, Milo goes rogue. Meanwhile, FBI agents Simon Stroud (Tyrese Gibson) and Al Rodriguez (Al Madrigal) investigate Morbius’ victims.

While there is nothing original about the plot, in the right hands, the story is potentially engaging. However, Daniel Espinosa’s uninspired direction of Burk Sharpless and Matt Sazama’s inept script make for an anemically leaden, mostly unwatchable hour and a half. 

The dialogue is an insult to clichés. “You get to live, and I get to die,” says Milo. To which Michael responds, “It’s a cure. Forget me, brother.” Later, Morbius says, “Where is the brother I used to have?” Even better is his statement: “I’m starting to get hungry. You don’t want to see me when I’m hungry.” But the nadir is given to Rodriguez, who, looking at one of the victims, is forced to deliver with a straight face: “Those puncture wounds … do they look like fang marks to you?”

Even if The Batman’s noirish cinematography is not to your taste, there is a commitment to style. Here, Oliver Wood provides a murky atmosphere. The desaturation creates a dullness that reflects the film’s lack of energy. When Morbius isn’t drinking his artificial plasma from what looks like Sunny D pouches, there is action, but it feels pedestrian and predictable. The extended fights are not so much by the numbers as they are just numb. Worst of all, the visual effects are bizarre, bargain basement, and just plain annoying. However, it’s a good day to be a CGI bat.

Jared Leto is surprisingly bland in a role that calls for grand strokes. Even when declaring, “I brought this into the world — it’s up to me to take it out,” he lacks passion, running the gamut from A to … well, A. Michael is not so much a mad scientist as a mildly peeved one. He growls and snarls when transformed into the beast, but the ferocity is just above an irritated puppy. 

Matt Smith, best known as the eleventh Dr. Who, has quirky fun with the antagonist, but the homoerotic connection between Michael and Milo is underdeveloped. While the writers hint around the edges (the Spartan reference “We are the few against the many” has multiple levels), they pull punches by introducing a pallid love interest for Michael with scientist Martine Bancroft (Adria Arjona, drastically underused). Poor Gibson and Madrigal have little screen time and even less to do. (Maybe they’ve been spared.)

The epilogue more than hints at a future crossover into the Spider-Verse. Michael Keaton appears in a cameo in the credits as Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. The Vulture. It speaks volumes that ninety seconds in the credits have generated more interest than the ninety minutes of film. 

Sadly, Morbius is not a traditional vampire tale, so it cannot be vanquished by stake, sunlight, or holy water. Morbius says, “It’s not a curse. It’s a gift.” Sorry. You got that reversed.

Rated PG-13, Morbius is now playing in local theaters.

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A scene from 'I Am Here'. Photo courtesy of @Micha Serraf/ Sanktuary Films

By Jeffrey Sanzel

The opening of Jordy Sank’s documentary I Am Here is a montage of news reports from recent anti-Semitic events. It is a visual and emotional assault, with the ever-present and always disturbing swastika. From this, he cuts to a disc jockey at a Jewish radio station talking about Holocaust survivor Ella Blumenthal’s response to a hateful attack from a Holocaust denier. In Blumenthal’s letter, she offers to meet with the author. She wants to answer hate with a connection. 

I Am Here is an account of Blumenthal’s life. Celebrating her 98th birthday in Cape Town, South Africa, surrounded by her children, grandchildren, and friends, she relates her story. 

A scene from ‘I Am Here’. Photo courtesy of @Micha Serraf/ Sanktuary Films

Born in Warsaw, she was 18 years old when World War II broke out in 1939. She lost 23 family members—“dear souls”—sent from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka death camp. She, her father, and her niece, Roma, went into hiding, but following the Ghetto uprising, the three were deported to Majdanek. She witnessed her father struck down by a guard—which was the last time she saw him. In 1943, she and Roma were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau (where she was tattooed prisoner 48632) and finally ended in Bergen-Belsen before liberation. 

Blumenthal shares her harrowing journey with passion and raw honesty. Speaking of things that she had held inside for years, her details evoke deep pain. She remembers the smell of burning feathers in the destruction of the Ghetto. She tells of the room in which they were held before deportation. At night, guards would come and take young girls and rape them. 

The camps’ horrors are told in vivid, clear detail. She relates of nearly being gassed but getting a reprieve because the quota of five hundred exterminations had been filled. She describes the hanging of a prisoner after an escape attempt. At one point, Roma was contemplating suicide by throwing herself on the electrified fence. When they arrived in Bergen-Belsen, the camp had become nothing more than a charnel house, with the dead and dying everywhere. But even in this nightmare, she states: “I never lost hope, even in the darkest times of my life.”

She believes it was neither luck nor chance but God that helped her survive. Even in her tenth decade, she shows joy, light, and appreciation for all she has. She strives to bond with people, making visits, going on Facebook, and talking to her niece, who lives in New York. She believes that we must “make friends and show kindness.”

Her post-war life led her to Paris, then Palestine, where she met her South African husband, Isaac. They wed after only knowing each other for thirteen days. After that, they moved to Johannesburg, where they opened a business and raised a family. Her married life is shown in a wealth of home movies.

A scene from ‘I Am Here’. Photo courtesy of @Micha Serraf/ Sanktuary Films

Juxtaposed with her history are clips of her current life: spending time with family, swimming, walking, and even making the Sabbath challah. References to “no food must be wasted” and “the plate must be cleared,” as well as a certain frugality (the use of one tea bag to make multiple cups), are presented with humor tinged with the shadow of one who went without.

What separates I Am Here from similar documentaries is the 2D animation. Created by Greg Bakker, the rough cartoons enhance the narrative with muted colors and stilted movement. These sections are more effective and affecting than the standard archival photos and stock footage that are employed elsewhere in the film. These moving illustrations create haunting images.

At the behest of her husband’s family, Blumenthal had her tattoo removed, an unusual and disturbing request, essentially eradicating her experience. She claimed the resulting scar was from a freak car accident. For years, she did not tell her children about her suffering “because the open wounds were still bleeding.” And yet, the adult children speak of her waking up screaming from nightmares. Blumenthal said that these terrible dreams were of the Nazis taking her children. Unfortunately, these questions and ramifications are not fully addressed. The letter from the beginning of the film is never mentioned again.

Blumenthal touches on some of the things that still haunt her. When speaking of her lost family, she muses, “Every person has a grave to go to. I have none. Not even ashes.” She admits that she had trouble mixing with people after the War for they did not know what she went through. She had to build a family to find a new world.

I Am Here offers a portrait of survival but a celebration of life. Blumenthal demonstrates gratitude for the family “next to her now” and “who can hear her when she laughs or cries.” People come to her for blessings as they see her as a source of positivity. She fears that what happened could happen again, and “we should not forget.” But her final message is “We must love people around us. Love everybody” — a powerful statement from a remarkable person.

Rated PG-13, I Am Here is now playing in local theaters.

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Zoë Kravitz and Robert Pattinson in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

By Jeffrey Sanzel

Batman first appeared on screen in the 1940s serials Batman and Batman and Robin. His next appearance was in the high camp television series, where Adam West fought a rogues’ gallery of villains played by beloved Hollywood character actors. In 1989, he resurfaced in the Tim Burton Batman, with Michael Keaton in the title role and Jack Nicholson as the Joker. Three sequels of descending quality followed. 

Robert Pattinson as Batman in a scene from the film. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Director Christopher Nolan rebooted the franchise in 2005 with Batman Begins and Christian Bale donning cape and cowl. The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises followed in 2008 and 2012. Ben Affleck became the most recent Batman, taking on Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017). Throughout the Caped Crusader’s history, he was seen in various animated incarnations, ranging from the tame Saturday morning cartoons to the challenging Batman: The Killing Joke.

After several false starts with Affleck helming as actor, director, and co-author, The Batman has reached the screen with a different vision. Matt Reeves took an alternate approach, co-writing the screenplay with Peter Craig. Leaving behind Affleck’s action-driven script, Reeves explores Batman in a real-world environment. 

If it’s always sunny in Philadelphia, it’s always raining in Gotham. Undoubtedly, this cinematic Batman is the darkest. And while the Dark Knight rises, the sun does not. Gotham is a world of shadows, a city of chaos and utter corruption. A perpetual sense of disease permeates every corner of a world devoid of safety.

The plot centers around Edward Nashton (Paul DanPaul Dano, channeling the Zodiac Killer), a.k.a. The Riddler, who is eliminating people he feels have abused their power. The film opens with the murder of the mayor who was stepping out on his wife with a woman connected to the Iceberg Lounge, run by underworld mob boss Carmine Falcone (John Turturro). 

Falcone’s number two is thug Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot (unrecognizable Colin Farrell), nicknamed “the Penguin.” The missing woman’s roommate is lounge server Selina Kyle (a phenomenal Zoë Kravitz), a burglar and drug dealer, who is—or will become—Catwoman. Throughout the slightly bloated three hours of playing time, skeletons come to light, including an unsavory history of Bruce Wayne’s parents and a connection to an orphanage where Nashton was raised.

Zoë Kravitz and Robert Pattinson
in a scene from the film.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

For the most part, Batman’s communication style has been a monotone growl. As played by Robert Pattinson, Batman maintains a gravelly, tight-lipped demeanor. But he introduces an underlying neurotic intensity, reflecting that he is only two years into his crime-fighting career. Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne is not the millionaire playboy living in splendor. Instead, he broods in a decaying Gothic manor worthy of Miss Havisham. 

In addition, Bruce is trapped in a codependent relationship with antagonistic butler Alfred (Andy Serkis, given not enough screen time). Alfred reminds him that he is ignoring his responsibilities. This original approach works, giving depth and insight into the struggle of maintaining two separate existences.

While Batman has often been on the perimeters of society, here he is a true outcast. The police—infested with crooked dealings—see him as a freak. His sole ally is Lieutenant James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright, in a first-rate, definitive interpretation), who truly understands his value.

“Fear is a tool,” states this Batman. “They think I’m hiding in the shadows, but I am the shadows.” His motto is straightforward: “I am vengeance.” Part of him believes Gotham is beyond saving—“maybe it’s eating itself.” With monomaniacal drive, he tries to eradicate the criminal element on all levels to exorcise his demons. He has not yet found a more altruistic drive.

The Batman draws on multiple sources from the comic book but eschews the whimsical villainy for true horror. The Riddler is ridding Gotham of those he feels have betrayed the people. He is “unmasking this cesspool of a city,” a distorted reflection of Batman’s mission. Gone are the green tights with a question mark emblem. Instead, he is a sadistic serial killer cut in the Seven vein, often enacting crimes that call to mind Saw’s Jigsaw. While never fully seen, the vicious murders are suggested clearly. He does not have henchman but instead online followers. This is a timely and more frightening proposition, especially in the film’s finale.

Farrell’s Penguin little resembles anything in the Batman canon. Absent are the traditional umbrella, top hat, monocle, and cigarette. Instead, buried under a fat suit and layers of prosthetics, Farrell’s hoodlum is a plotting opportunist. Perhaps closest to expectations is Kravitz’s conflicted and complicated Catwoman, generating heat and danger.

The Batman focuses on the idea that choices have consequences, and responsibility must go beyond vengeance. In the end, Reeves aims for nobility in the final message. Batman embraces survival to transform. He will endure not for payback but to make the world a better place. He acknowledges that there will be people who will take advantage of Gotham’s vulnerability. But, for him, it must be about not dwelling solely in darkness. Whether this is an earned, uplifting coda or just pulling punches from the film’s true grit is left to the individual viewer. Either way, a forthcoming sequel will find a Batman with a higher purpose, continuing those steps into the light.

Rated PG-13, The Batman is now playing in local theaters.

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