(5) "Unto Us a Son Is Given." Donna Leon has written somewhere near four million murder mysteries, most (all?) featuring Guido Brunetti. I say "most" because there was a stand-alone mystery somewhere in there, but I can't recall if a murder was involved. Leon says she cares more about the why than about the who of the mystery--and that's certainly clear. She could maybe invest more time in the who. But I'm sympathetic to her point. Speaking on Agatha Christie, Leon said it's too easy for a writer to view a novel as a puzzle, and not as a deep exploration of character. I'm always happy to return to Leon's world--the food, the descriptions of Venice, the quiet heroism of Brunetti, the reliable antics of Patta, Paola, and Elettra--and I'm looking forward to Brunetti's return this March.
(4) "Kiss Me, Kate." You have to hand it to Kelli O'Hara: She has had a long-term commitment to the musical theater. Perhaps she has gone off and filmed a shitty "Private Practice"-ish TV show--I haven't kept track--but, regardless, unlike, say, Heather Headley, Ms. O'Hara has never taken a long break from Broadway. "South Pacific," "The King and I," "The Pajama Game," "Bridges of Madison County": The musicals keep coming. At the same time, O'Hara has ventured into opera territory. O'Hara studied with Kristin Chenoweth's teacher, and Chenoweth has famously said, in an artistic career, "There are no rules." It could be nice to see O'Hara doing something a bit bawdier than "South Pacific" or "King and I"--i.e. Cole Porter--in the near future.
(3) The year of Anne Hathaway. There's a profile of Ms. Hathaway in the NYT this weekend, and it's generating weirdly divided and heated responses. I continue to find Hathaway grating--and I don't fully look forward to her essaying the role of the Head Witch ("The Witches" remake), a role that belongs to Anjelica Huston--but I'll see the Hathaway/McConaughey noir movie. I'll see all the Hathaway movies. You have to admit she was delightful in "Ocean's Eight."
(2) The revamping of "Unsolved Mysteries." This has to be one of the most exciting world-news developments of the past forty, or fifty, years. I'm already holding my breath, waiting to hear which mysteries the staff will focus on. Could I put in a word for Suzanne Jovin? And Robert Wone? And Adnan Syed? And Brian Shaffer? I could go on, and on, and on.
(1) The reign of Gillian Anderson. Does any actor have a career more fascinating than Gillian Anderson's career? Stealing the show in "Hannibal," essaying the role of Lily Bart, spearheading the buzzy new comedy "Sex Education," doing Dickens proud (more than once), fighting baddies in "The Fall," and now taking on the part of Margaret Thatcher in "The Crown." I'm not sure how Anderson manages to land juicy role after juicy role after juicy role; she is talented and spellbinding, but those words apply to so many other people, as well. In any case, Anderson seems to have a gift for being in the right place at the right time. I look forward to seeing her sexiness and reserve injected into the reimagining of a pre-iconic Margaret Thatcher. "The Crown" hasn't always held my attention, but with Olivia Colman and Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter hopping on-board? I'm optimistic!
(4) "Kiss Me, Kate." You have to hand it to Kelli O'Hara: She has had a long-term commitment to the musical theater. Perhaps she has gone off and filmed a shitty "Private Practice"-ish TV show--I haven't kept track--but, regardless, unlike, say, Heather Headley, Ms. O'Hara has never taken a long break from Broadway. "South Pacific," "The King and I," "The Pajama Game," "Bridges of Madison County": The musicals keep coming. At the same time, O'Hara has ventured into opera territory. O'Hara studied with Kristin Chenoweth's teacher, and Chenoweth has famously said, in an artistic career, "There are no rules." It could be nice to see O'Hara doing something a bit bawdier than "South Pacific" or "King and I"--i.e. Cole Porter--in the near future.
(3) The year of Anne Hathaway. There's a profile of Ms. Hathaway in the NYT this weekend, and it's generating weirdly divided and heated responses. I continue to find Hathaway grating--and I don't fully look forward to her essaying the role of the Head Witch ("The Witches" remake), a role that belongs to Anjelica Huston--but I'll see the Hathaway/McConaughey noir movie. I'll see all the Hathaway movies. You have to admit she was delightful in "Ocean's Eight."
(2) The revamping of "Unsolved Mysteries." This has to be one of the most exciting world-news developments of the past forty, or fifty, years. I'm already holding my breath, waiting to hear which mysteries the staff will focus on. Could I put in a word for Suzanne Jovin? And Robert Wone? And Adnan Syed? And Brian Shaffer? I could go on, and on, and on.
(1) The reign of Gillian Anderson. Does any actor have a career more fascinating than Gillian Anderson's career? Stealing the show in "Hannibal," essaying the role of Lily Bart, spearheading the buzzy new comedy "Sex Education," doing Dickens proud (more than once), fighting baddies in "The Fall," and now taking on the part of Margaret Thatcher in "The Crown." I'm not sure how Anderson manages to land juicy role after juicy role after juicy role; she is talented and spellbinding, but those words apply to so many other people, as well. In any case, Anderson seems to have a gift for being in the right place at the right time. I look forward to seeing her sexiness and reserve injected into the reimagining of a pre-iconic Margaret Thatcher. "The Crown" hasn't always held my attention, but with Olivia Colman and Anderson and Helena Bonham Carter hopping on-board? I'm optimistic!
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