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Movie Review

The Light Between Oceans comes up short where it counts: the story

Alex Bentley
Sep 2, 2016 | 9:42 am

Writer/director Derek Cianfrance does not traffic in light, easygoing stories. Each of his three mainstream movies — Blue Valentine, The Place Beyond the Pines, and now The Light Between Oceans — are heavy, relationship-based dramas that focus on questionable choices that affect their characters deeply.

Unlike the first two films, though, The Light Between Oceans is Cianfrance’s first nonoriginal film, as it’s adapted from the 2012 best-selling book by M.L. Stedman. Set in post-World War I Australia, it follows Tom (Michael Fassbender), a war veteran who takes a job minding a lighthouse on a remote island as an antidote to horrors he’s recently experienced.

On his visits back to the mainland, he strikes up a romance with Isabel (Alicia Vikander), who soon becomes his wife. After experiencing a couple of traumatic attempts at having a child, they suddenly find a boat washed up on shore with a dead man and crying infant inside. Their decision to raise the child as their own will have consequences that range far and wide.

The 132-minute film is full of atmospheric shots, period authenticity, and great acting, but it surprisingly comes up short in the one area where it counts: the story. If ever there were a natural-made tearjerker, this is it, especially when the child’s real mother (Rachel Weisz) comes into the picture. But despite a multitude of scenes in which wrenching emotion is displayed by the characters, that tension and sadness rarely makes its way to the other side of the screen.

Cianfrance, who worked as a solo screenwriter for the first time in his career, and editors Jim Helton and Ron Patane seem to be responsible for the faults of the story. Despite the film’s length, the story feels rushed and forced at times, cutting into the raw emotion that should be present. Cianfrance does let the action play out naturally for the most part, but when he tries to insert shortcuts, it’s jarring and disruptive.

Fortunately, none of that takes away from the acting jobs turned in by Fassbender and Vikander. Even though they, not to mention most of the cast, speak in accents that seem more British than Australian, they each make the most of their roles. The stoicism of the character of Tom will leave romantics wanting, but the two actors display great chemistry nonetheless.

The Light Between Oceans has much going for it, and will be a draw for fans of the book and anyone looking for an actual adult drama. But it ultimately can’t fulfill the promise of being a truly transporting story.

Babies both born and unborn cause all sorts of stress in The Light Between Oceans.

Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander in The Light Between Oceans
Photo courtesy of Dreamworks Pictures
Babies both born and unborn cause all sorts of stress in The Light Between Oceans.
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Movie Review

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever wears its emotions on its sleeve

Alex Bentley
Nov 10, 2022 | 3:57 pm
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever wears its emotions on its sleeve
Photo by Annette Brown

Angela Bassett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

The Marvel Cinematic Universe and writer/director Ryan Coogler find themselves in almost an impossible position with the long-anticipated Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The death of star Chadwick Boseman in 2020 left a gaping hole in both the ongoing MCU and in Coogler’s story plans for this film, which likely had to be mostly scrapped in the absence of his character, King T’Challa.

And so, like much of the MCU’s Phase Four films, Wakanda Forever feels tenuously patched together. Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole address the elephant in the room right away, starting the film with T’Challa’s (off-screen) death, a sequence that is as elegantly handled as possible. It is the first of multiple times in the film that characters like his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) and mother Ramonda (Angela Bassett) grapple with the loss, moments that never fail to bring big emotion into the film.

At first, it feels like the film’s main storyline will be successful, introducing a new group of beings, led by Namor (Tenoch Huerta), who live underwater in a country they call Talokan. Like Wakanda, they live in an area that’s rich with vibranium, which makes their deep-sea land a target for countries eager to be on a level playing field with Wakanda. Naturally, they defend their territory at all costs, with the mysterious nature of the Talokans leading to them being confused for Wakandans.

Early conflicts between the Talokans and Wakandans are suitably entertaining, with the Talokans – featuring blue skin, masks filled with water to be able to breathe at all times, and possible regenerative properties – seemingly indomitable. But as the film goes along, and especially in the final act, the battle scenes become repetitive and filled with subpar CGI that takes the viewer out of the necessary escapism mode.

The film works best when it returns to the personal aspects of the story. Without the presence of T’Challa, the film becomes mostly about the women of Wakanda, including Shuri, Ramonda, Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), and warrior Okoye (Danai Gurira). The way each adapts to their new or adapted roles is much more interesting than any of the fights. Coogler also takes time to give the history of Namor and the Talokans, making them deeper than other nemeses in comic book films.

When it comes time for a particular character to finally take up the mantle of Black Panther again, the reveal is not much of a surprise. But whether it’s the reluctance of that character, the appearance of the character in the suit, or the incoherence of the scenes showing off that person’s skills, there’s little that’s exciting about the newly-minted superhero.

It’s also disappointing that – after the world-building and addressing of real-life racial issues in the first film – this film doesn’t push harder in that regard. Coogler and the production team, especially costume designer Ruth E. Carter, make Wakanda as real as ever, but the implicit promise T’Challa makes at the end of the first film - that Wakanda would be a beacon for Black people around the world - is only lightly addressed.

There is little the filmmakers could do about it, but the film misses Boseman’s larger-than-life aura. Much of the film centers on Shuri, but Wright is better as a supporting actor than a lead. A better choice would have been Bassett, who is as strong as ever, or Nyong’o or Gurira, who are each compelling in their roles. Winston Duke once again makes the most of his brief appearances as M’Baku.

For all its faults, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is still the most watchable of the recent slate of MCU films. The central conflict doesn’t yield many rewards, but the film wears its emotions on its sleeve, giving fans permission to publicly grieve the generational talent gone too soon.

---

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever opens in theaters on November 11.

Angela Bassett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Photo by Annette Brown

Angela Bassett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

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Season Announcement

Familiar names fill Circle Theatre's inspiring 2023 season in Fort Worth

Lindsey Wilson
Nov 10, 2022 | 2:29 pm
Dallas Theater Center presents The Mountaintop
Photo by Karen Almond

"The Mountaintop" at Dallas Theater Center in 2015.

Blind Lemon Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dear Sugar, the real Josh Cohen, and Mr. Rogers. These are all lead characters in Circle Theatre's 2023 season, which features a true-to-life protagonist in each show that exemplifies the theater’s values of innovation, integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, and service.

"These delightful and inspiring stories will spark curiosity, empathy, and joy in our patrons," says executive director Tim Long. "In a time where we crave authenticity, Circle Theatre is keeping it real for 2023.”

The theater, located in Sundance Square, begins its season with Lonesome Blues, which was recently produced at Dallas' Undermain Theatre.

Born blind but ultimately able to express his deepest emotions through music, Blind Lemon Jefferson was discovered on a street corner in the Deep Ellum section of Dallas in 1925. He made more than 80 records over the next four years — becoming one the most prolific and influential performers of his generation and propelling the growth of rhythm and blues, soul, doo-wop, rap, and hip-hop. Written by Alan Govenar and Akin Babatunde, and directed by Babatunde, it runs February 2-11, 2023.

Katori Hall's The Mountaintop is next, directed by D. Wambui Richardson.

On April 3, 1968, after delivering one of his most memorable speeches, an exhausted Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel while a storm rages outside. When a mysterious stranger arrives with some surprising news, King is forced to confront his destiny and his legacy to his people. It runs March 30-April 15, 2023.

Tiny Beautiful Things, based on the book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, is a celebration of the simple beauty of being human.

Based on Cheryl Strayed’s journey as the beloved anonymous advice columnist for “Dear Sugar," where thousands of people turned to her for words of wisdom, compassion, and hope. Reluctant to claim that she has all the answers, Sugar looks to her own past and draws on her life experiences to bring light, laughter, and humanity to others. Directed by Susan Sargeant, it runs June 1-17, 2023.

The regional premiere of The Other Josh Cohenhas book, music, and lyrics by Steve Rosen and David Rossmer, and is directed by Joel Ferrell with music direction by Cody Dry.

Josh Cohen just can’t get a break. He’s single, broke, and to top it all off, his apartment’s been robbed of everything but a Neil Diamond CD. Soon though, his luck takes a turn when a mysterious envelope arrives that changes his life forever. Thus begins the hilarious and quirky romantic comedy about a good guy caught in a lifelong battle with bad luck. It runs August 24-September 16, 2023.

Closing out the season is I’m Proud of You, adapted for the stage by Tim Madigan and Harry Parker and based on Madigan's book I’m Proud of You, My Friendship with Fred Rogers.

Former Fort Worth Star-Telegram writer Tim Madigan recalls how an interview with the icon of kindness and everyone’s neighbor, Mr. Fred Rogers, led to a wondrous and life-changing friendship. Throughout this friendship, Fred helped Tim mend his relationships and become a better husband, father, and brother. This world premiere is directed by Parker and runs November 2-18, 2023.

Individual ticket prices are $40-$50, with preview performance tickets $20-$25. Call 817-877-3040 for further information and reservations, or visit CircleTheatre.com to buy tickets online.

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Tinseltown in Cowtown

New self-guided walking tour showcases Fort Worth Stockyards’ many Hollywood ties

Celestina Blok
Nov 10, 2022 | 11:51 am
New self-guided walking tour showcases Fort Worth Stockyards’ many Hollywood ties
Stockyards Hotel

The Stockyards Hotel is on the tour.

A new self-guided tour showcasing the Fort Worth Stockyards’ many star-studded appearances in cinema throughout the years has debuted in time for the 16th annual Lone Star Film Festival, taking place November 10-12 in the Stockyards for the first time.

Called Stars of the Stockyards, the eight-stop, go-at-your-own pace walking tour guides folks to famous film sites where celebrities have stepped foot in front of Hollywood cameras. Visitors to the Stockyards can access the PDF tour map on their smart phones via QR codes (no app required) posted throughout the district, namely at hotels and tour kiosks.

"The Stockyards is a historic and celebrated destination for many reasons, but one that may be lesser known is its popularity as a filming location for some of our favorite movies and TV series," said Ethan Cartwright, VP of marketing for Stockyards Heritage Development Co.

The tour and corresponding QR codes are a permanent addition to the district, he said.

Stops on the map include the iconic White Elephant Saloon, a hotbed for Hollywood performances including several by legendary actor and martial artist Chuck Norris in the longtime TV series, Walker, Texas Ranger when the watering hole was portrayed as the fictional CD Bar. The White Elephant was also graced by country music superstar Tim McGraw and Academy Award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton for their appearances in Paramount Plus’ hit series 1883.

Also in 1883 and featured on the tour is Hookers Grill, hidden in the less flashy West side of Exchange Ave. The burger shack transformed into a gambling den in the show called The Texas House of Liquor & Sport. It’s the only building in the Stockyards that preserved the façade constructed by 1883’s production team. During operating hours, customers can order at the outdoor burger window and dine at patio tables within the two-story structure.

Cowtown Coliseum is marked on the map for its appearances in the 1983 film Tough Enough, where actor Dennis Quaid played an amateur boxer. It’s also the home of the final rodeo scene in the 1992 movie Pure Country starring country music legend George Strait.

Billy Bob’s Texas, the Stockyards Hotel, and even unassuming historic cattle pens also make the list on the tour, along with notations for the Texas Trail of Fame, which features more than 240 bronze markers honoring contributors for preserving and perpetuating the Western way of life.

Veteran actors Sam Elliot and Robert Duvall, both stars in the megahit TV series Yellowstone, are among the most recent Texas Trail of Fame inductees.

For more information and to get started on the tour, go here.

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